


The rulers of Hueco Mundo

by CoolCarnage



Category: Bleach
Genre: Bonding, Companions, F/M, Humor, Life in Hueco Mundo, Odd Friendships, Training
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2020-12-21 17:50:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 38,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21059873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoolCarnage/pseuds/CoolCarnage
Summary: The lives of Grimmjow, Nelliel and Harribel after the thousand year blood war as they rule over Hueco Mundo, and how the relationships between them changes over time.





	1. Observing the panther

**Author's Note:**

> While watching Grimmjow during his training, Nel reflects over how things have changed in Hueco Mundo

Nelliel was resting on her bed in her section of Las Noches. It had not been her`s for very long. It had originally been Harribel`s residence, during the time Aizen had ruled over Hueco Mundo. But after she became the queen of Hueco Mundo, Harribel and her Fracción had moved into the royal quarters, as they were now called.

After everything had been settled down and peace had been restored to Las Noches, Harribel had offered Nel and her Fracción her former quarters.  
Since her old residence had been destroyed during the numerous conflicts that had taken place in Las Noches (though she had a suspicion that Nnoitra had been the one responsible for so many conflicts happening in that specific area), Nel had accepted the offer with gratitude.

Since Harribel and her Fracción had kept their old homes quite clean and tidy, out of nostalgia, the quarters were very easy to settle into.  
Pesche and Dondochakka had insisted that Nel settle in Harribel`s old chambers. They had firmely argued that only the chambers of an Espada where fit for their superior. While Nel thought of them as far more than just subordinates, she had given in to their pleas.

She had just woken up and tried to listen. Pesche and Dondochakka had started to build a home for Bawabawa, as they missed having their "pet" with them. Nel had asked Harribel if she had anything against them using old parts of Las Noches to build the home, and the blond hollow had given her blessing.

"I understand the need for companionship very well" she had said, her eyes gentle.  
"Just as long as that huge thing doesn't mess up my place!" Apacci had yelled, which immediately started an argument with Mila Rose and Sung-Sun about showing proper manners in front of Harribel.

The queen of Hueco Mundo had merely sighed and looked at Nelliel with resignation. "I care for them deeply, but sometimes I wished they could have the sort of friendship your Fracción share".  
Nel had chuckled softly at that and responded with: "That comes with its own challenges".

While she listened for a while, she heard nothing that sounded like a building being constructed.  
However, there was a very different sound she could hear faintly in the distance, that sounded familiar.

Curious, she got out of bed and walked over to her wardrobe. Stopping to ponder for a brief moment, she grabbed the old garments she had worn while meeting Ichigo for the first time. While Urahara had gotten her some new clothes, like the outfit she had worn during the attack on the Wahrwelt, as Ishida had called it, she had developed a fondness for the torn robes. 

"Maybe it was because of how things started to change for the better while I wore these", Nel wondered.  
Once she had finished dressing, she stepped outside. Feeling the cool air on her skin, she used her reishi to fly into the sky.

Standing high in the air, she started to search for the familiar reishi that she had felt. Eventually, she found the source, which was quite a long distance from Las Noches.  
Flying slowly towards the source, she made sure to conceal her presence.

Finally spotting something, she eased her way down. Landing on a hill that was just far enough away, she confirmed she had a good view. Meanwhile, she would not be seen unless she made her presence known.  
Looking down, she saw the hollow that had such a strong Reiatsu, that it could be felt even at such a long distance.

Holding his sword, Grimmjow was cutting through the air with incredible speed. Even Nel, one of the strongest hollows in existence, had a hard time keeping her eye on his Zanpakutō, with the level of speed he was displaying.  
Stopping for a moment, Grimmjow let his Zanpakutō slide back into its sheath. Taking a fighting stance, he drew his sword once again and unleashed a slash that cut through a huge hill far away. 

As he repeated his previous motion of slashing through the air, Nel looked on while in deep thought. Thinking back to the fight between Grimmjow and Ichigo that she had watched with Orihime, she noticed something.  
His movements were far more precise and controlled then they had been during that clash. 

There was still a sense of ruthlessness and savagery, something Grimmjow always seemed to display through his body language.  
However, it seems to have been tempered by something.

"Focus" she realized. 

His strikes, while still giving off a feral feeling, were much more controlled and well thought out then they had been back then.

At first, she had not known if he had survived after Ichigo stepped in to defend him from Nnoitra. But after things settled down again in Las Noches, and Harribel had ruled as queen for some time, tales began to spread.  
She and her Fracción had heard stories from other hollows. 

Stories of a lone figure that wandered through Hueco Mundo, killing anything that got in his way.  
Obviously, most of the residents of Hueco Mundo would try to kill you the moment they spotted you, but for someone to be strong enough that even hollows would fear someone? To the point of not even trying to approach them?

Nel knew that it had to be another member of Aizen's army that had survived, if they were at that level of power. After talking to Harribel after the quincy war, she too had confirmed that she had also heard the stories.  
She had surprised Nel however, when she had revealed that the figure had never set foot in Las Noches once, in the years between Aizen's reign and the quincy invasion. 

Now that they both knew that the figure the stories had talked about had been Grimmjow, they had both been quite surprised. They both remembered how Grimmjow had the goal of becoming the king of Hueco Mundo, and yet he had never challenged Harribel`s claim to the throne during the years after Aizen's defeat.

In fact, even after helping to save Harribel from her imprisonment by Yhwach, he had not done so.  
Instead, he had helped with fighting the other enemies that had attacked Hueco Mundo and then left Las Noches once again afterwards.

After pondering over what the reason for this might be, Nel sat in deep thought for a while. She would never have imagined that this is how things would end up, back when she had served under Aizen.

That Hueco Mundo would end up with a ruler with a kind heart, that wanted to change things for the better. That they would form an alliance, albeit a tentative one, with the soul society.

That she herself would end up considering soul-reapers, humans and even a quincy as her dear friends, who she would fight with her life for.  
Nel smiled, her eyes filled with a fondness for those friends. She had never thought that feeling would extend to anyone, other than her Fracción. 

"I suppose that shows that I may have been right. Even hollows can become something more then we thought we could." 

She shook her head lightly.

"Nothing is set in stone yet. But now, we at least have a chance to truly make our own choices regarding our future." 

Having reflected for quite a while, she finally turned her gaze back towards Grimmjow.

Her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. He had tossed his jacket and shirt aside, and was now standing with his upper body fully revealed.  
He was holding his Zanpakutō with only one hand now, while standing at an angle that gave her a full view of his body. 

His muscles, which had always been impressive, were now covered in sweat. Such a sight alone would have made anyone stare.  
Nel`s attention however, was drawn to his face. And more precisely, his expression.

It lacked the usual arrogant, cocky smirk, or the bloodthirsty grin she was used to seeing. Instead, his face showed concentration and focus.

It made him look much more human, and to Nel`s suprise, far more attractive then she had ever found him before.

Obviously, when she had been in her child form, she had been terrified of the blue-haired espada. Even after she had regained her adult form permanently, she had looked down on the male hollow somewhat.

It had most likely been a combination of how he had nearly killed Ichigo, and how his general attitude had reminded her of Nnoitra.  
That opinion had been lessened somewhat, after he had helped them in the war against the Wandenreich, even agreeing to work with his sworn enemy.

She had saved him, and their allies after their fight against the elite sternritter. Afterwords, while he had not thanked her verbally, he had joined her in saving Harribel, without any arguments.

After that, he had helped them deal with the latest threat to Hueco Mundo, and then simply left once again. 

That had made her reflect more deeply on his previous actions, and she had come to a rather surprising realization.  
While he was no less violent or prideful then most hollows, he had a geniune level of honor, that very few others had. 

She had wondered if he had agreed to help Ichigo not just because they had shared a common enemy. But maybe because he also wanted to repay his debt to the substitute shinigami. Back in the aftermath of their battle, Ichigo had protected him from Nnoitra, after all. 

She had asked Orihime this when they were out of his earshot. The orange-haired girl had looked surprised for a moment, before putting her hand to her chin in a thinking motion.  
She had then nodded with a surprising amount of enthusiasm.

She had told Nelliel of how Grimmjow had protected her from the two female hollows that had been beating her, and how he had explained that it was to repay her for healing his wounds.  
Afterwards, she had pointed out how he had insisted that she heal Ichigo, and had even fought Ulquiorra to ensure that the two of them could have their fight.

She had concluded with the fact that he was helping them now, and that while neither of them might admit it, both he and Ichigo seemed to have a respect for one another.

Nelliel has gained a new level of respect for the the panther arrancar after that, though she did not show it during their time as allies. 

But now, looking at him in the shine of the moonlight of Hueco Mundo? In her adult form, with the expression he had and his body revealed like that?

Even from a purely physical perspective, Grimmjow was by far the most attractive male hollow she had ever seen.

While there was admittedly not a huge level of competition, considering how most hollows looked, even after they had become arrancar, it did not make it any less true.  
The only ones that came to mind were Ulquiorra and Starrk, and she had never felt much of an attraction towards either of them. 

She may have had a bit of an interest in Starrk, considering his surprisingly kind nature, but the Primera had never showed much interest in interacting with anyone other then his other half.  
That, combined with his overall laziness, had turned her of any potential interest in pursuing a relationship with the wolf-arrancar .

Plus, she had no interest in becoming a subject in some kind of breeding experiment that such a relationship might create.  
She had no problem imagining either Szayel or even more disturbingly, Aizen himself, would find such a concept a pleasure to research, in their unpleasant ways. 

That, combined with having to constantly deal with Nnoitra, as well as her other duties as an espada, there was honestly no wonder she had never pursued a romantic relationship.

There was of course the possibility that hollows simply did not pursue companionship of that nature. It would make sense, looking at the nature of their existence.  
Plus, she had never seen non-arrancar form such relationships.

But, looking at Grimmjow now, and the way the sight of him made her feel...

She felt her face start to flush, and startled, turned her eyes away from the former sexta.  
The green haired hollow shook her head, willing the red out of her cheeks, and tried to return her face to its usual neutral expression.

When she was confident enough that she had regained her composure, she turned her head back towards Grimmjow. He seemed to be finishing his workout for the moment, but had only put his sword back in its sheath, and had yet to put his clothes back on.

Deciding to finally talk to him, Nel started to walk down towards, unveiling her reishi while doing so. Grimmjow turned his face, looking surprised for a moment, before his expression darkened.

"What do you want, Nelliel?" He asked. At the same time, his hand was inching towards his sword.

"I was resting back in Las Noches, when I suddenly felt your Reiatsu. No one has seen you since you left, so..." She paused.

"You wanted to check up on me?" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, the disbelief clear in his tone.  
Still, he stopped reaching for his sword, instead letting his hands slide into his pockets. It seemed he did trust her word, at least on the fact that she wasn't there for a fight.

"So what is it? Is Harribel worrying about me challenging her for the throne?" He asked, while a grin began to form on his face.

"I don't believe she is. After all, you haven't done so, even after everything that has happened" she answered.  
"Should she be?"

Grimmjow shook his head.  
"Naw, she can relax, about that at least. I`m sure she has other shit to deal with, anyway.

But, why?" Nel couldn't help but ask. "You were always declaring that you were gonna become the king."  
The female hollow let her head tilted slightly to the side, in a manner that made it clear she was wanted to ask him further questions. She clearly wanted him to elaborate the statement.

Not too surprising really, considering how he had been so obsessed with the matter, at least during his time as an espada.

He shrugged his shoulders, a unreadable expression on his face.

She continued to stare at him until he sighed in exasperation.

"Fine, you really wanna know?" His right hand was now ruffling his hair, making his blue mane look even more messy than usual.  
"I wanted to beat Kurosaki or that bastard Aizen. But now, that smug prick is stuck in prison and Kurosaki still hasn't shown his face here, even when he was the one who killed that old quincy fucker."

Nel simply stared at him, her eyes softening just a bit. "I don't believe that's it, Grimmjow.  
What!" He yelled, his face beginning to twist out of anger.

"You calling me a liar?" He asked with a snarl, his hands beginning to form into claws.  
"No, I just don't believe that's the whole reason" she replied cooly. His eyes narrowed at that response.

"Am I wrong, or are you really just bitter about not getting to fight someone?" She raised her eyebrows, her words challenging his previous answer.

He turned his head away from her gaze, while making a "tch" sound.  
"That attitude of yours is as grating as ever, Nelliel." He folded his arms, his hands back to normal.

Despite his dismissive reaction, Nel had noticed that he had not denied her statment.  
She let a small smile form on her face, actually happy that she and Orihime might have really been right.

"There is more to you then you might realize, Grimmjow", she thought to herself.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, annoyance still clear on his face. 

She just shook her head, looking at him with an expression far more tender then she had ever given him in the past.

His brows narrowed in confusion, not really understanding why she was looking at him like that.

"Come back to Las Noches with me" she said. 

He looked at her, seemingly baffled, before replying with: "Why?"

She gave him a small grin.  
"I think having a sparring partner would make training far more interesting, don't you?"

He scoffed; "Hollows doesn't need any companions." 

She turned around and began to walk away.

"Maybe not".  
She turned her head to look at him, a small grin on her face;  
"But I know that cats are fond of company, though they will never admit it."

She turned around and continued walking while hearing him utter something under his breath, before she heard him picking up his clothes.

Soon enough, he was walking along side her, his jacket on and his shirt in his hand. While flinging his shirt over his shoulder, he looked at her sideways.

"You know, that fox-like bastard told me something back in the day", he said in a surprisingly casual tone.  
Nelliel looked at him, surprised he was actually engaging in casual conversation.

"What was it?"

He turned to her, a grin on his face. With a glint in his eye, he said; "A king with no subjects is just a lonely guy with an ego and a true king has followers that respect him, not just fear him."

Nel hummed in agreement. "Surprisingly wise words, coming from Ichimaru" she said, looking at Grimmjow. 

He nodded, smirking as Las Noches came into view. 

"I guess I gotta start somewhere, right?"

Nelliel smiled, looking at him with a glint in her eyes as well. 

"Indeed Pantera, indeed."


	2. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harribel finds out things are going to start changing in Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow has returned to Las Noches, with Nel by his side.  
Now, the three of them must decide what this will mean for the future of the hollows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really enjoyed writing this chapter. Harribel is such a great character, it was wonderful to write from her perspective.  
A big shout out to OceanLord2017 for inspiring me to write with her as the viewpoint character, with their lovely portrayal of the shark hollow in their fic, Sea of Second Chances.  
Check it out if you like cool crossover stories!
> 
> Please tell me which of the three espadas you would like to see be the focus next time, in the comments.  
Until next time!

Resting in her bed, Harribel let her eyes open slowly. 

She had slept for a while, having let Sung-sun stand guard while she and her other fracción rested. Now, feeling ready to return to her duties, she stood up and started to get dressed.  
After zipping up the collar that covered her mask, she walked out of her room, walking at an even pace towards the throne room.

Upon entering it, she saw her fellow hollow sitting on the stairs leading to the throne of Las Noches. 

Sung-sun sat while staring out into the air, her mind quite clearly on something else then guard duties.

She did eventually hear Harribel`s footsteps and rushed to her feet, bowing her head.

"Lady Harribel, I apologize" she said, clearly embarrassed having been seen acting so lax, while on duty. 

Harribel just held up her hand, signalizing that it was fine.

"Do not worry about it.  
If it had been Apacci or Mila Rose, I am sure they would have been outside by now, practicing their swordplay instead of focusing on their guard-duties..."

Sung-sun raised her head, a slightly smug look now visible in her eyes.

Harribel just waved her hand gently.

"Please go and wake the two of them, Sung-sun. We must begin to tend to our responsibilities for the day."

The younger hollow bowed her head once again, and began walking towards their chambers.

After she had left the room, Harribel sighed as she began walking up the stairs to the throne.  
She thought to herself that her three friends might never become the calm and collected individuals she had tried to help them become since they all met, all those years ago.

"Then again, I suppose that might not be such a bad thing. Their antics do help with keeping my mood bright. 

At least when they don't just argue endlessly," she thought to herself, a small smile hidden by her collar.

As she finally sat down on the throne, she once again shivered as she felt the cold sensation the white throne always gave her.

"This throne still feels more like a seat befitting someone like Aizen or Barragan", she muttered to herself.

Having uttered those words, her mind began being filled once again.

Filled with thoughts of the shinigami that had once been their ruler.

Her mind darkened, before closing her eyes and willing away the pain in the spot where Aizen had slashed her.

"I promised I would change things. Make them better then the two of them ever did", she thought to herself.

Just then, she felt two familiar reiatsu`s.  
Both of them were making their presence clear, as they entered Las Noches.

"Why is he accompanying her?" Harribel wondered to herself, as she got of the throne.

Making her way back to the floor with Sonido, she felt her body tense. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what this could mean.

Finally, Nel and Grimmjow walked into the room.

Nel had a small smile on her face while Grimmjow had a neutral scowl. 

The two stopped right in front of Harribel.

"Grimmjow. It has been a long time."

Harribel said with her eyes locked on the blue haired man, while laying her her arms in a crossed position.

Grimmjow just raised an eyebrow, his hands still in his pockets. His entire posture seemed to radiate confidance.

On the other hand, this laid back attitude seemed much more genuine then it had been in the past.  
Back then it had usually just been a front to hide his real personality. 

"Yeah", he said while cracking his neck to the side.

He then moved his left hand to the back of his head, ruffling his hair.

"I was wandering around Hueco Mundo, training like I did before the quincy`s invaded. 

Figured I could focus better out there, not having to worry about wrecking Las Noches, ya know?"

Harribel`s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that answer.

Still somewhat suspicious, she asked: "So why have you returned now?"

Grimmjow put his left hand back in his pocket. 

"She invited me back", he replied, while gesturing with his right thumb towards Nel.

He gave her a lazy grin.

"She convinced me that having a sparring partner would make training far more effective".

Harribel looked over at Nelliel, her eyebrow raised in a questioning look.

Nelliel gave Harribel a calming smile, nodding reassuringly.

Harribel felt relief, now knowing that Nel seemed to approve of Grimmjow`s return to Las Noches.

Still, there was one more question she had to know the answer to. She had to know what Grimmjow`s ambition truly was.

If it was still the same as it had been in the past...

"Does that mean your goals have changed? Or are you still intent on becoming the King of Hueco Mundo?"

Harribel saw that Nel's smile disappeared immediately and was replaced by a worried expression, as she glanced over at her male companion.

Grimmjow`s face took on a steely look. His striking blue eyes was now staring straight at her, his previous laid back attitude gone.

Harribel could feel the tension in the room intensifying. She was mentally preparing to draw Tiburon, while still keeping her armes crossed.

A few more tense seconds passed. Then, Grimmjow spoke:

"To rule over Hueco Mundo, you must be the strongest. That`s the way it`s always been."

He paused for a moment.

"But after seeing the way that bastard Aizen, and that old quincy fucker ended up... 

Hell, even that old pile of bones ended up biting it, and the most impressive thing he did was getting some old ruins built.  
And Aizen and two his lackeys was able to turn it into the fortress we are now standing in, with practically no effort, in no time at all!"

Grimmjow had put his arms out, gesturing at the room.

Harribel and Nel both stared at him, extremely surprised to see Grimmjow, of all people, talking like that.

His gaze returned to Harribel, a new look in his eyes that the blond hollow had never seen before.

"I told Nel what Ichimaru told me. A king with no subjects is just a lonely guy with an ego and a true king has followers that respect him, not just fear him."

He put his hands back in his pockets, and looked away.

"If we hadn't teamed up with the soul reapers, all the fucking worlds would have been destroyed.  
Now that the old geezer that used to lead them is dead and that kimono wearing dude is captain commander, they might just be willing to try and make things change."

Grimmjow turned towards Harribel again, his face unreadable.

"I know you'll have a much better chance of convincing them that Hueco Mundo can make things change too.  
So for now, you can keep the throne. I`m gonna focus on getting the fight that Kurosaki still owes me."

He paused once again to let what he said sink in.

"But, if you screw up, or the way you are handling things don't agree with me..."

He drew his Zanpakutō, twirling it around in a casual way, "I will challenge you, I will win and I will sit on the throne as the rightful king.

He stopped spinning his Zanpakutō, pointing it at Harribel. 

"And if that happens, all of you will swear your allegiance to me."

He gave her a one of his signature grins, his eyes shining with a challenging glimt.

"Sound fair to you, or do you wanna try throwing me out right now? Your choice..."

The two of them stared at each other, Nel watching the two of them, holding her breath.

Until Harribel let her posture soften, her stance now being the way it usually was.

"Very well. I accept your challenge, Grimmjow. 

Will you be staying in your old chambers, now that you are back?"

Grimmjow gave her a smirk:

"Sure, last time I checked they were still there. I`l need to dust it off, I suppose..."

Harribel simply nodded.

With that, the only remaining male espada turned around and used sonido to exit the throne room.

Harribel turned towards Nel:

"I trust that you'll be keeping an eye on him?"

The green haired hollow nodded. "You have my word."

Giving a grateful nod, Harribel turned back towards the throne, hearing Nel vanish with Sonido as well.

At the same time, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-sun entered the room, the first two bickering as usual, while the latter only looked on with a tired expression.

As they noticed Harribel giving them a disapproving stare, Apacci and Mila Rose stopped their arguing, rubbing their arms sheepishly and looking away. Sung-sun hid her smile with her sleeve as usual.

Harribel let out a tired sigh and fixed the three girls with a look.

"The three of you must all prepare for some changes. Do you understand?"  
The three raised their eyebrows questioningly:

"What sort of changes, Lady Harribel?" the trio asked in unison, glaring at each other afterwords.

The queen of Hueco Mundo put her arms in her signature folded position. 

"Grimmjow has returned to Las Noches, and will now be living here permanently, training with Nelliel."

The three female hollows simply stood there, completely stunned for a while.

Then, finally, they simultaneously yelled: 

"WHAT!"


	3. Adjusting to changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tres Bestias try to make sense of what is happening in Hueco Mundo, while Grimmjow settles back in his old home. Harribel observes and Nel talks to Grimmjow about things.

The Tres Bestias where in one of the halls of Las Noches, having been ordered to stay there until they had calmed down. Apacci was pacing back and forth, the expression on her face showing her aggravation with the situation. Mila Rose was looking at her while leaning on a pillar, getting more and more annoyed by the constant sound of her footsteps.  
Finally, Sung-Sun was sitting at a bench, with a thoughtful look.

Eventually, Mila Rose had enough. "Will you stop that pacing! It`s driving me crazy!" Apacci stopped her pacing and shot her companion a glare. "I can't believe that is what's bothering you the most right now. Did you even hear what Harribel told us?" The deer hollow put her her hands on her hips, while a taunting look started forming on her face. "I should have known that you wouldn't be able to handle any important information, like usual."

Her dark skinned companion got in her face, her fists clenched. "I heard her perfectly well. It's the fact that I can't concentrate on any of it, because you are making that annoying noise that`s pissing me off!" As the two started their usual set of arguing, Sung-Sun finally looked at them. 

"I would appreciate it if the two of you could stop your comedy routine just this once, and actually talk about what is happening", the snake hollow said in her usual condescending way.   
"What did you say!", the pair yelled at her before glaring at each other.

"I said, it is much more important to actually talk about the fact that Grimmjow has returned, and that he did so at Nelliel`s request. Did that make things more clear for you two?" The two female hollows looked unhappy, but seemd to realize that their friend made a good point.  
"Alright, so what can we do about this? We can't just let that guy back into Las Noches. Right?" Apacci asked, a scowl still on her face. Mila Rose nodded in agreement. Sung-Sun sighed and raised her sleeve to her mouth, covering it up in her usual fashion.

"I do not think that is something we can do anything about." When both her friends glared at her, she explained in a calming manner: 

"The facts are, the three of us could not to anything to Grimmjow, even if we wanted to. While we were completely defeated by that Sternritter, Grimmjow finished him in one strike. A sneak attack to be sure, but it still shows that he is far beyond what the three of us are capable of.  
Not only that, he and Nelliel joined the soul reapers on their attack on the quincy`s fortress, and saved Harribel. While we had to just sit back and wait here", Sung-Sun finished. 

Apacci and Mila Rose looked frustrated, but neither of them could deny any of what their friend had said. "In addition, lady Harribel seemed to have accepted Grimmjow`s return. What we should worry about, is what exactly this means for all of us", Sung-Sun continued, her voice getting more and more lecturing.

"Fine, fine, I get it!" Apacci yelled, looking fed up with the how the snake hollow was flaunting her intellect. Sung-Sun merely smiled behind her sleeve. "So what do you suggest we do? Mila Rose asked, also fed up with her companions smugness. Sung-Sun froze, her cheeks reddening slightly. "You don't know either, do you? Mila Rose said while putting her hand on her face in exasperation.   
Menawhile, Apacci had a huge grin on her face. "Seems you aren`t as smart as you think you are. Just like usual."

As the three kept on bickering, Harribel was leaning against a piller a distance away. She sighed at how the trio`s discussions always ended up like this. 

OoOoOoO

Grimmjow was standing in his old room, looking over everything. Most of it looked untouched, but very few parts were actually covered in dust. "Guess Harribel have to give the lower ranked hollows something to do. So might as well have them keep the place clean", he muttered to himself.  
Walking over to where he had kept his clothes, he opened the closet and looked inside. Most of it was missing. "Someone must have wanted a nicer set of clothes, if they raided the espadas wardrobe" he thought.

Shutting the doors of the closet, he turned to look back at the room. Only to find Nel, who was looking right at him. Making a face, he asked in a annoyed tone: "Are you gonna follow me around all the time? Or were you just really curious about seeing me check out my old room?"

Nel just gave him a stern look. He just crossed his arms and stared right back, grinning at the fact that he had managed to annoy her. Deciding to be the mature one, Nel asked the blue haired male a question:

"Do you need new clothes?" Grimmjow looked a little surprised at the sudden change in her mood, before shrugging his shoulders. "Wouldn't say no to any, if you are offering..."  
Nel gave him a small smile. She was once again pleasantly surprised by the panther hollow. He seems much more willing to actually make genuine conversation.   
Or at least, willing to not make threats every time he was annoyed, like he had mostly done in the past.

"Why are you smiling like that?" He asked, his face revealing that he once again seemed confused by her friendliness. She shook her head slightly, while she sat down on the bed in the room. "It's nothing. By the way, Urahara gave me a device to contact him if we ever need to get in touch with them again. If you want, I could call him and ask them to make some more clothes for you." She said, curious on how he would take the offer.

Grimmjow ruffled his hair and let out a annoyed "tch". Then he gave Nel a look. "If we ask that shopkeeper for anything, we are not going to get it for free, ya know." He then let out a resigned sigh. "But I do need some new threads. And I am not interested in getting any old espada outfits, from one of the other chambers." He put his hand back in his pocket.

"I'll take you up on that offer. If he asks for anything, I will at least have something else to do. Just training all the time is gonna get boring, sooner or later..."

Nel nodded, finding his answer rather well thought out. She too suspected Urahara would not simply give them something for free. But she was happy that he seemed open to continue the partnership the two of them had established with the ex-captain during the war. 

Feeling the desire to be a bit cheeky, she cocked her head and asked in a teasing tone: "Anything special you want to order? I might get him to thrown in a little extra, if you ask nicely~." 

Grimmjow just raised his eyebrow, before giving her a small smirk. "Some food would be nice. If there was one good thing about the meetings Aizen constantly held, it was that the food and drinks were pretty good." Nel stood up, nodding her head in agreement. If there was one thing she missed about those days, it was the excellent tea that Aizen had always served them.

"Well, I am going to get ready for our spar", she said as she began to walk out. "Depending on how it goes, I might need to ask Urahara for some new clothes as well". Grimmjow let out an amused chuckle at that, as he followed her outside. "I'll wait for you at the outskirts of Las Noches, that okay with you?" Nel gave him a smile and nodded, the two of them walking down the hall side by side.

OoOoOoO

Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun peeked out from behind a pillar, listening as the voices of the pair started to fade away. The three of them looked at each other, before nodding and began sneaking towards Grimmjow`s room. The three of them looked around, before starting to search the room. All three of them were showing remarkable restraint, always putting things they had looked at back into place and only communicating with each other using gestures.  
The trio most had realised that if they ended up arguing like they usually did, Grimmjow would most likely hear the noises coming from his room. And none of them wanted to deal with an angry Grimmjow.

So, the three of them continued searching the room in silence, until Apacci noticed something. A certain smell, that was coming from Grimmjow`s bed. Her eyes widening in shook, she began gesturing wildly to Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, to alert them about what she had found. The two looked at her with confusion, until they too stopped and smelled. And both of them froze upon realizing the implications.

"H-h-hey, there is definitely a normal reason for Grimmjow`s bed smelling like Nelliel, r-r-right?" Apacci stuttered, her face slowly flushing. "I mean, there is totally no way that those two are r-r-really..."

The other two shook their heads feverishly, their faces also growing more and more red.

Harribel was standing some distance away, still following her friends to see what they were up to. Listening to the increasingly higher tone her friends voices reached, and what they were saying implied, she pinched her nose in exasperation. 

"I really need to talk to them to make sure they don't anger Nelliel and Grimmjow with their, eh-em, over-acting imaginations..."

She continued to listen as the trio's discussion became more and more absurd.

"But I could always wait a little bit. After all, this is the most entertaining thing that has happened here in quite some time..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, big shout-out to OceanLord2017, for suggesting a chapter of shenanigans with the Tres Bestias. It was really fun to write for those three, will definitely write more with them as the focus in the future.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Spying on the sparring couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun spy on Grimmjow and Nel when they train together for the first time.   
Harribel, who is also watching them, feels equal amounts of confused and intrigued at the pair`s dynamic.  
Grimmjow and Nel snark at each other.

Nel was walking towards the outskirts of Las Noches, where Grimmjow had said he would be waiting for her. He had left her at the entrance of her room, not interested in standing outside while she got ready. 

He had raised an eyebrow while wearing cocky smirk at her when they had reached her room. The unspoken question had been rather obvious: "Want me to come inside?" Nel had simply shot him an unamused look, which he had chuckled at. Turning around, he had disappeared using sonido. Nel sighed and walked over to her closet. After finding the clothes she had worn during the quincy war, she removed her old outfit. 

Rolling her old clothes together, she made sure that the device Urahara had given her was still properly attached to her wrist. Satisfied, she nodded to herself before laying the old clothes back into her closet. Now wearing an outfit far more suited to battle, she closed her eyes and started searching for Grimmjow`s reiatsu. Finding it, she began walking towards it, taking her time.

"I should probably inform Pesche and Dondochakka of this when we are done sparring. Then again, they will most likely sense what is happening and understand." She frowned, realising something. "Then again, I should probably contact them to be on the safe side. I wouldn't want them to misunderstand and jump into our training. They might believe that the two of us really were fighting, and that I needed their help..."

She reached into her pocket, pulling out a small phone-like device that Urahara had given her and her friends during the time they had worked together. She called Pesche, informing him that she would be sparring with someone, and that they did not need to worry. Her former subordinate made it clear that he understood, and she ended the call.  
Satisfied about taking care of that for the moment, she used sonido to arrive at the place Grimmjow was waiting for her.

The blue-haired man stood with his hands in his pockets and looked a little annoyed that she had spent so much time getting there. "I apologize for taking as long as I did. I just wanted to be sure that my friends would not interrupt us," Nel explained. Though he still looked a little annoyed, Grimmjow nodded, accepting her explanation.

"So, what kind of training did you have in mind?" the male hollow asked. "Do you want us to try and go all out from the start, or do you want us to keep it as simple as possible". Nel put her hand on her chin, pondering for a moment.   
Then she replied: "I think we should keep it simple this time. Just try and see how our skills compares, before we bring in anything majorly destructive moves. Is that alright with you?"

Grimmjow smirked, drawing his Zanpakutō. "Fine by me. I would probably destroy Las Noches if I went all out while this close to it anyway," he said in a casual tone. Nel frowned slightly, worried that he might be really stating the facts, instead of boasting in his usual way.

"I know that he is on a completely different level then he was back during his fight with Ichigo. But has he really become so strong that he could destroy Las Noches, without even trying to?" she thought to herself.  
Drawing her own Zanpakutō, she pointed it at Grimmjow, signaling that she was ready.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, trying to find an opening to strike at. Then, simultaneously, their swords clashed together. Sparks flew as they pushed their blades together, both of them trying to get the upper hand. Dashing back, the two continued to slash and parry each other`s attacks, neither of them letting the other one catch their breath.

OoOoOoO

Having finally found where the two were, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun watched as the pair sparred, hiding behind a large sand dune. All three were stunned by the high level of skill that both parties were displaying. 

After the two had fought for a long time, without any breaks, both of them finally paused. Grimmjow had his sword positioned so that it was poking Nel`s stomach, while she had her blade pointing at his throat. Then, they both retracted their swords.  
Nel sat down, lying her sword next to her. Grimmjow, on the other hand, put his blade back in its sheath, and then proceed to remove his shirt and jacket. 

The trio spying all did a double take. None of the three of them had not expected that the blue haired male would do something like that!

The trio were struggling to decide where they were so supposed to look. None of them had much experience with dealing with the opposite sex, for a number of reasons. But all of them could see that Grimmjow was a very attractive specimen. And seeing him standing there, his upper body bare, stretching his muscular arms...

Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were understandably flustered.

"How can she be so casual?" Apacci whispered, looking at Nel. The green haired woman had picked up a book from one of her pockets, and was currently in the middle of reading. The other two turned their gaze at older female as well, both of them surprised at how she did not seem to be shocked by Grimmjow`s actions at all.

That is until she finally looked up from her book and directed a question to the panther hollow:

"Was it really necessary to throw your clothes off to stretch?" she asked in a somewhat tired manner. Grimmjow paused his stretching, looking at her with a expression that was hard to decipher. Then, a smirk slowly formed on his face.

"It's fine if you want to throw your clothes off too, you know? Make it even", he replied. His eyes glinted with humor as he crossed his arms, a teasing tone to his voice that the Tres Bestias had never heard before. Nel merely shot him a look, and let out an exasperated sigh. Grimmjow just laughed, before he walked over and laid down next to her. 

Nel looked somewhat surprised at the blue-haired man's actions, before turning her attention back to her book. Grimmjow put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, resting from their intense spar earlier. The only sign that he was still awake, was his subtle reactions when Nel flipped to the next page of her book.

The Tres Bestias were looking at the pair, shocked at how casual the two seem around each other. "I did not want to believe it, but I am starting to think that Apacci might have been right" Mila Rose said, her face going through several expressions at a rapid rate.  
Sung-Sun shook her head, the disbelief clear in her eyes. "I cannot believe that someone as intelligent and kind as lady Nelliel, would really..."   
Her voice softened into muffled noises, as her face grew red.

Harribel, who was still trailing the three, listened to the trio`s conversation. She then shook her head softley. She was genuinly surprised at how her friends seemed to have so thoroughly convinced themselves that the pair resting were intimately involved. Despite the fact that the 'evidence' they were basing these assumptions on, were things that could so easily be explained by more believable answers.

Still, Harribel could not deny that she too was rather surprised at how friendly the pair`s interactions seemed. While they had worked together during the war, she had not gotten the impression that the two were on especially good terms.

And yet, they both seemed quite at ease around each other now. She was especially surprised at how casual Grimmjow seemed, having been under the impression that he did not wish establish any kind of friendship with anyone. Then again, Grimmjow had been one of the espada`s that had treated his subordinates surprisingly well. 

So, it was possible that he was not actually opposed to the notion of establishing a bond with someone. He just needed it to be with someone he actually got along with.

Harribel smiled. She was happy to see that even individuals as different as Grimmjow and Nelliel, could become genuine companions.   
"If I have those two at my side, along with the others..."

She looked up at the moon, a hopeful shine in her eyes. "We really could change Hueco Mundo. Together".

OoOoOoO

Nel had paused her reading. Her eyes had wandered down the last page she was on, without actually reading anything. Slowly, she let her eyes drift over to the man beside her. She was once again surprised by just how attractive she found Grimmjow, particularly when he was like this.

With his expression calm, she could much easier appreciate his sharp features, and how his wild blue hair complimented them. While she was unsure of whether he had actually fallen asleep or was still just resting, she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she continued to study his features.   
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and glanced up at her.

"Why did you stop reading?" He asked, a drawling tone to his voice. 

A bit shocked by him asking, Nel pushed a lock of hair back into place behind her ear to give herself a moment to prepare an answer. She then replied:

"I got this book from Urahara, since I mentioned to him that I liked to read. But that I no longer had any books, after what happened with Nnoitra", she explained. Grimmjow`s expression morphed into a frown. "I never could stand that fucker", he snarled, his eyes burning with anger. Nel continued on, wanting to steer the conversation away from something that brought back bad memories for both of them.

"But I am starting to think this was some sort of bad joke", she said while closing the book. When Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at her quizzingly, she explained in a exasperated tone: 

"This book is almost nothing but scenes of a couple pulling pranks on each other, telling horrible jokes or..."  
She paused for a second, trying to find a way to describe it that did not feel crude.

"Finding many different ways of being intimate with each other", she finally said. Grimmjow`s eyes widened in surprise, before he let out a laugh.   
"You sure that's not just a manual? For what he considers to be the goals one must achieve to have the ultimate relationship, I'm sure", he said while smirking up at her. 

He was clearly amused that the ex-captain had basically given her a porn-book. Adding to that, was the fact that it would be the first thing she would read in years.

Nel just frowned. "That's not the problem. What upsets me, is that it`s simply not well-written." She tossed the book to Grimmjow, who snatched it while it was still in the air. "I have no problem with a books of that nature, but that one was quite simply not an enjoyable read."

Grimmjow started to flip through the book, stopping at what Nel assumed was one of the scenes she had told him about. As his eyes scrolled down the page, he seemed unsure whether he should laugh or not at the sheer ridiculous nature of the writing.

"I get what you mean", he said as he tossed the book back to her. "I think I should add decent reading material, to the list of things we will be requesting from Urahara when we visit his shop", Nel said in a deadpan voice. That made Grimmjow grin in response.

The two continued to lay there, bantering with each other. Both of them were still unaware of the four that were watching them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Nel talk with Harribel before they leave for the world of the living.

Harribel was currently sitting on the throne of Las Noches. Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were standing guard at the bottom of the staircase leading up to it.

She could feel the pair that was walking towards the throne room approaching. She briefly wondered what the two wanted to discuss with her. After Grimmjow had arrived some time ago, the two spent most of their time in each other's company.

The only exceptions to this were when Nel was spending time with her former Fracción instead. During those times, Grimmjow would mostly keep to himself, usually training in solitude. Harribel had considered asking him if he wanted to spar with her during those periods, but had refrained from doing so.  
She somehow felt that the training sessions Grimmjow and Nelliel shared, were something she should respect.

Still, she would admit that after observing those two during their sparring for some time, she felt a longing for a sparring partner that was on her level.  
While she loved Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun dearly, there was no denying that none of them were on the same level of skill and power that she, Grimmjow and Nelliel were on.

As she was thinking this, Grimmjow and Nel stepped into the room. Nel walked in a dignified manner, her grey eyes filled with a clear sense of purpose. Grimmjow, on the other hand, had his hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face.

The two stopped in front of the throne, both of them looking up at Harribel. Recognizing the look in both their eyes, the blond haired hollow got up from the throne and used sonido to appear right on front of the pair. Nel gave her a grateful smile, while Grimmjow merely looked off to the side.  
Seeing her three friends preparing to shout at the blue haired man for his action, Harribel raised a hand, signaling that it was fine.

"So what do you wish to talk with me about, Grimmjow, Nelliel?" Harribel asked in a soft voice. Still, there was a stern look in her eyes, showing that she did want a respectful answer from the two.

While Nel shot Grimmjow a stern look, he merely gazed back in a dispassionate way. It was clear which of the two had wanted to talk with Harribel, and she was not surprised by it. Still, she was somewhat happy that Grimmjow had still chosen to accompany Nel, despite his clear lack of actual interest.

"Well, we have been thinking of visiting Urahara`shop, to acquire certain things", Nel started to explain. "So, I thought we could ask all of you if there is anything you wanted us to pick up for you while we are there", she finished, giving Harribel and the Tres Bestias a warm smile.

While they were all taken aback by this, Harribel quickly composed herself and gave Nel a grateful smile.

"I would like some tea. If you could acquire it on your visit, I would be most grateful", the shark hollow replied. There was a new warmth in her eyes, as she smiled at the pair.  
For the first time since coming, Grimmjow turned his gaze towards her. While his face was unreadable at first, it quickly changed into an amused grin.

"I guess even you missed the one good thing Aizen brought with him, eh Harribel?" Grimmjow said while looking down at Nel. She looked back up, with an expression that was a mixture of amused and exasperated.

"If I could request something as well?" a voice could be heard from behind Harribel. Everyone turned to look at Sung-Sun, how had hidden her mouth behind her sleeve in her usual way. "I would like for you to bring back a list of the items one can purchase at the shop you are visiting, if you could" she continued.

"That way, we can be better prepared for the next time you decide to visit that soul reaper" she finished, and looked away. Harribel gave her a proud look. "An excellent idea, Sung-Sun. I would also appreciate that, if there is such a list", she said as she turned attention back towards Grimmjow and Nel.

Apacci and Mila Rose both had rather conflicted looks on their faces. On one hand grateful for Sung-Sun`s request, but on the other angry that they had not thought of that themselves. 

Nel nodded. "I will ask for such a list. It would be rather useful for us all to have one." 

Grimmjow then turned around and started walking out of the hall. Shooting Harribel an apologetic look, Nel quickly followed him, the pair exciting the hall together. Turing around, Harribel found her three friends huddling together. They were whispering about something, of what the blonde hollow could only guess.

OoOoOoO

Grimmjow and Nel stopped at rooftop that gave them an outlook over most of Las Noches. The blue haired man opened a garganta, and the two stepped through it.

The two stepped into Karakura Town, seeing that the sun was slowly descending, giving everything a warm feel. "Is this what the world of the living is like?" Nel asked as she looked around eagerly. "Yeah, pretty much" Grimmjow replied lazily.

"How lovely" Nel said in a wistful tone. "I thought that you had been to world of the living before? Back when you came to warn Kurosaki and his friends of the invasion of Hueco Mundo" Grimmjow replied.

A small grimace forming on her face, Nel closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes, but I couldn't excatly appreciate the scenery during that visit" she said, her eyes melancholy.

Grimmjow looked at her with an expression that was hard to read. Then, he sighed and used a hand to ruffle his hair. "Since we are here anyway, do you want to visit that orange haired bastard? You haven't seen him in a while after all..."

Nel looked at him in surprise, before a smile broke out on her face. "I hadn't thought of that! I would like that" She said, with the usual cheerfulness her voice gained when she talked about the substitute soul reaper. Grimmjow simply rolled his eyes.

"Do you wish to come with me?" He turned around in surprise, having not expected her to ask him that. He frowned, before asking in a rather cold voice: "Why would I want to visit that bastard?"

Ignoring his cold glare, Nel replied in the same cheerful tone: "I thought you wanted to have a rematch with him? You should talk with him about it, settle a time for it together."  
The blue haired male fixed her with a sceptical look. 

"I thought you were against 'pointless' battles. That was what you were always telling Nnoitra". The look Grimmjow was giving her was intense.  
Having his strikingly blue eyes directed at someone the way he was doing to Nel at the moment, would make almost anyone tremble in fear.

Nel however, merely shook her head softly.

"I know that you and Ichigo share an rivalry that`is far more mutual, unlike myself and Nnoitra which was always a one sided obsession. And while I am certain that you care far more about this rivalry between you two then Ichigo does, you will only be content with a fair fight to decide things between you".

The unspoken implications of how different that was compared Nnoitra`s actions against both of them hung in the air, neither of them needing to say anything about it.

The two, who had been standing on the air, finally started searching for Urahara`s reiatsu. As they did so, Grimmjow had a far more reflective expression then Nel had usually seen him with.  
"Maybe I am starting to rub off on him. After all, back when I served as an espada, Aizen had said that the element of death I embodied was reflection", she thought to herself.

"I don't think someone as perceptive as Aizen would give me that title, simply because of my Cero Doble technic", she wryly added, before noticing the familiar reiatsu coming from the direction to the right of them. Looking at Grimmjow, she saw that he had felt it too.  
Without either of them saying a word, both flew towards where the energy could be sensed.

OoOoOoO

Back in the halls of Las Noches, a certain trio was currently busy. What excatly were they planning on doing? 

Sneaking into Nel`s room, of course! 

They had made sure that her Fracción was not there, and were instead continuing with their project of building a house for their pet.  
And now that Nel herself was out of Hueco Mundo, it was the perfect time to execute their plan!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This became a more serious chapter than I had planned. But I enjoy writing Harribel`s scene so much that I extended it.  
Plus, I wanted to show the beginning of the three espadas bonding.
> 
> Next chapter will be more comedy focused, with the entrance of Urahara and the trio getting their hands on Nel`s book.  
Please tell me what you enjoyed most, and what you'd like to see in the future.
> 
> As always, hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> Till next time!


	6. Visiting Mr Hat-and-Clogs's shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nel and Grimmjow arrive at Urahara`s shop. The Tres Bestias find Nel`s book.

Grimmjow and Nel finally arrived at the location where they had sensed Urahara`s presence. Descending down to the ground, they spotted two young looking individuals.  
One was a boy with slicked-back red hair, while the other was a black haired girl.

The girl was cleaning up around the entrance of the shop with a broom, while the boy was ranting about something. The two suddenly froze, and slowly turned around. Both of them seemed shocked at the sight of the hollows, who were looking straight at them.

Grimmjow gave them a threatening smirk, while Nel smiled at them kindly. The boy picked up his broom from the ground, and pointed it at the pair. While they assumed it was supposed to be an intimidating gesture, both of the hollows couldn't help but feel amused.

"What the hell are you doing here, you bastards!" The boy`s yelling had the two hollows looking at each other sideways. The wry grins on their faces revealed their mutual feelings of trying to suppress their chuckles.

Feeling sorry for the boy, Nel bowed her head in a respectful manner. "I apologize if we startled you. We have both worked with Kisuke Urahara in the past. He is the owner of this shop, correct?" She asked, her gaze alternating back and forth between the two.  
The girl poked the boy on the shoulder, and whispered something in his ear.

As the two started arguing, Grimmjow began looking more and more annoyed. The two children seemed to notice this, as the girl bowed to the two hollows. 

"I am sorry, can you please wait here while we fetch mr. Urahara?" She asked in a meek voice.

Nel gave them a nod and a smile, while Grimmjow crossed his arms and glared at the boy. Dragging her friend with her, probably to keep him from doing anything stupid, the girl entered the shop, closing the door behind her.

The hollows could hear many different sounds coming from inside the house, before finally the door re-opened. Stepping outside, his cane in hand and signature hat on, Kisuke Urahara bowed to the former espadas.

"Greetings my friends", he said as he raised his head. "This is a surprise, but a welcome one. What brings the two of you to my humble shop?" He asked while looking at the pair from under the brim of his hat.

While his voice held its usual humorous tone, his eyes were focused on the swords hanging from their hips. Nel held up her hands, to show that she had no ill intentions.  
"We have merely come because we wish to purchase certain things. I am sorry if we gave those children the wrong impression" she said. Grimmjow finally spoke up: "You do owe us ya know. We did save you and those other guys from that quincy during the war.  
If we hadn't been there, your asses would have been dead for sure" he said with a grin.

As if a switch had been flipped, Urahara gave them a big smile. "Ah, you are customers! Why didn't you say so earlier. My sincerest apologies for your treatment so far". Now twirling his cane around, he slid up to the hollows, stopping right in front of Grimmjow`s face. "Please make yourself at home" as he gestured towards his shop, giving them what they assumed was supposed to be a charming smile.

Growling at the man's behavior, Grimmjow looked like he was about to slice the shopkeeper`s head off. Not wanting a fight to break out, the green haired hollow grabbed her companions hand. When Grimmjow glared at her, she shook her head slightly.  
"Just bear with it" her eyes seemed to say.

Urahara looked at the pair, clearly interested in what their dynamic was like now. It had been some time since the war, and the pair had not been especially friendly back then. 

"How much has changed, I wonder" he thought to himself.

The blue haired hollow started walking towards the shop, shooting the former soul reaper a glare as he passed him. Nel also walked passed him, her gaze less hostile, but still wary. Urahara followed the pair, closing the door after they had all stepped inside.

OoOoOoO

Back in Las Noches, the Tres Bestias were searching through Nel`s room. Then, Sung-Sun pulled it out from underneath a pillow. After giving her thumbs up, Apacci and Mila Rose pointed towards the door. The three checked to see if anyone was around, before running towards their chambers.

None of them knew that Harribel was still keeping an eye on them, and that she was following behind them without making a sound.

Finally, the three girls entered Sung-Sun`s room. Sitting down on the bed, the trio looked at each other with uncertainty.  
"W-well, since Sung-Sun found it, she should be the one to read it. T-t-that was what we agreed on, right?" Apacci said, trying to hide her embarrassment with her usual bluster. Mila Rose nodded nodded with anxious agreement.

Slowly opening the book, Sung-Sun took a deep breath. Then, she began to read out loud...

OoOoOoO

Back in Urahara`s shop, Grimmjow and Nel were looking around at all the wares. Both of them were rather taken aback at the amount of things, considering how barren Las Noches usually was. The owner of the shop as observing the pair, clearly amused by how amazed the two seemed at so many 'ordinary' things.

"You did mention that you came here to purchase something, correct? So, is there anything in particular that the two of you are looking for?" he asked in his usual, slightly condescending, way.  
While Grimmjow glared at him, Nel nodded her head politely.

"Yes, we had hoped to acquire three things in particular" she said in a friendly manner. "Some new clothes, some tea and a list of all the products you sell at this establishment" she finished. 

Urahara let out a small chuckle. My, my, you certainly came while knowing what you wanted, didn't you?" Pointing his cane, he gestured towards a row to the right. "You'll find a selection of different tea brands over there. If you are not familiar with them, I could make a few taste samples for you two. If you want me too, that is" he said in a coy tone.

While Grimmjow rolled his eyes at the man's ridiculous behavior, Nel gave him a grateful smile. "We would be very grateful, thank you".  
Tipping his hat to her, the shopkeeper slipped past her and Grimmjow and picked out a couple boxes. With a skip to his steps, the former captain vanished behind some curtains. 

The two hollows could hear the sound of a tea pot being put over a heater.  


Continuing to search for something he found interesting, the blue haired man found a row filled with books. While the male hollow raised an eyebrow, clearly sceptical, he nevertheless started looking through the row. Finally finding a book that seemingly wasn't just some poorly written smut, or a bad joke compilation, he took it out from the row and started skimming through it.  
Closing it after a while, he tossed it over to Nel.

When she looked at him in surprise, he shrugged. "Found it a decent enough read. Thought you might enjoy that more then that other crap you were given" he said while turning his gaze back to the books.  
Nel was smiling in his direction, her grey eyes shining with delight. "Thank you Grimmjow", she said in a low, warm voice, one that was quite different from her usual stern or playful one.

Though she could not see his reaction, she hoped he had appreciated her thanks as well.

At that moment, Urahara walked into the room. He was carrying a tray filled with tea. "Sorry for the wait! Please, enjoy yourselves" he said while putting the tray down on a table. Watching the hollows approach the table, Urahara couldn't keep himself from looking at them, clearly intrigued. Having heard what happened from behind the curtain, he felt his interest in the pair`s new relationship growing.

The pair sat down, although it was clear that both of them were not to happy about having to sit on the floor. Looking over the selection of tea on the table, the two eventually picked a cup each. While Nel turned around to say her thanks, Grimmjow just sipped straight from the cup.

Urahara and Nel turned their attention towards the male hollow, both of them wondering what his reaction would be. Grimmjow had an unreadable expression for a while, then he took another sip. He had a small smile when he lowered the cup this time.

Nel beamed at him, happy that he found something he had liked. They both turned around however, when they could hear a delighted chuckle coming from the blond shopkeeper.

"What's so funny?" Grimmjow asked, his expression darkening. Oh, I was simply happy that a hypothesis I had turned out to be correct~" Urahara said, looking at the pair from under his hat. The two could spot the mischievous smile on his face, even from a distance.

"What kind of 'hypothesis' are you talking about, exactly?" Nel asked. Her tone was far colder than the one she had used when addressing the shopkeeper earlier. While she had not made any kind of threatening move, her eyes were filled with an intensity Urahara had not seen before.

Quickly raising his hands in a pacifying manner, Urahara smiled apologetically to the hollows. "I am sorry, that was some poor phrasing on my part. I simply meant that I put something in the that particular tea, that I suspected would make Grimmjow like it, based on prior experiences".

When the hollows raised their eyebrows at him quizzingly, he smiled, clearly amused. 

"You see, I sprinkled some catnip into that particular tea. In the past, Yoruichi has always loved it when I did so. I was curious if our blue haired friend here, would have the same reaction. For, ehem, obvious reasons". The last part was said somewhat sheepishly.

Nel looked over at Grimmjow, somewhat afraid of his reaction. The male hollow simply stared at the shopkeeper for a while, before turning his gaze back to the table. As he closed his eyes and took another sip from his cup, he lifted his right hand and flipped Urahara off.

The ex-soul reaper looked at Nel, shrugging as if to say, "it was funny, right?"  
Nel just gave him a look that clearly said she was unamused by his antics, before turning away and drinking from a cup of her own.

Leaning on his cane, Urahara silently observed the hollows as they continued to drink their tea in silence.


	7. Some very questionable reading material

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tres Bestias read some very cringy stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning. 
> 
> This chapter will contain some very cringe-inducing 'romance' scenes...  
Aka, the girls will basically be reading a bad smut story.
> 
> If that is not your thing, it will probably be fine to skip this chapter.  
If you do enjoy that kind of stuff, please read on.

Sung-Sun had decided to start reading in the middle of the book. 

Well, the more accurate thing to say was that since the trio was so nervous about doing this, none of them had really thought about where they would start reading. Mila Rose and Apacci just leaned in closer, wanting to hear everything clearly.

"The room was dark. The only thing that created some light was the candle on the night table, next to the bed in the room. The man sleeping in the bed had forgotten to blow it out. In this night however, it would not be the hottest thing in the room". 

Sung-Sun blushed at saying that line, glancing at her friends. Both of them were gesturing for her to contine reading. Trying to regain her composure, the hollow continued:

"Suddenly, the door to the room opened up. The female figure who stood in the entrance crossed her arms, while a sly grin spread across her face. Slowly walking over to the bed, she gave the sleeping man a sultry look. Then, she started to take her shirt off".

All three of the girls were transfixed, completely unable to focus on anything else then the story. 

Standing just outside the room, Harribel struggled to come to a decision. On one hand, she wanted to catch the three in the middle of the act.  
On the other, this might be an opportunity for her to let something else take care of letting the girls learn about this particular subject. Harribel certainly wasn't too eager about giving the three girls 'the talk'.

Sung-Sun continued her reading:

"After undressing completely, the woman started to slowly peel away the blanket that was covering the man. She gave a grin at the sight of his naked body. 

While admiring his toned muscles, particularly his well defined sixpack, she started to slip into the bed. When she was seated at the very end of it, she started to slowly let her hands work their way up his legs.

The man moved slightly in his sleep, mumbling something before settling again. Looking up at his face with a mischievous grin, the woman started to stroke the thing between his legs".

Sung-Sun was now blushing feverishly. While the other girls were the same, the looks they gave her made it clear they wanted her to continue. Taking a deep breath, the snake hollow continued reading.

Harribel was pinching her nose, feeling very uncomfortable listening to her juniors reading something like this.

"As the shaft grew bigger and bigger, the woman could feel her own body heating up. She once again felt lucky that the partner she had chosen, was so well equipped."

"In all the areas that matter too", she mused to herself. Looking back at the member, she was pleased to see that it had risen to it`s full height.

Giving the still sleeping man one last smile, the woman took the whole thing into her mouth. As she started to move her tongue around, the man finally woke up.

"Wha? What are you doing, ahhh" the man asked, the last word turing into a moan. The woman paused for a brief moment. Grinning up at him, she answered in a sultry tone:

"You are so fond of making me mew. I wanted to hear you make that noise for once~".

"Wait a minute!" Apacci yelled out. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun looked at her, startled by the sudden outburst.

"The woman in that book is talking about making the guy mew. And we all know what kind of hollow Grimmjow is, right?" 

Looks of realization formed on the other girls`s faces.

"Y-you can`t be suggesting that this book is...?" Sung-Sun asked, her face burning red.

Apacci nodded in an overly aggressive manner.

""Yes, this book is actually a journal! And not only that, it is one that documents some kind of special training that those two have been doing!" The hollow put her hands on her hips, grinning at her friends with pride at her 'brilliant' deduction skills...

The other two girls stared at her in amazement, wondering just what kind of training this was. 

All three of them froze however, when they heard a certain voice call out "Ahem".

The three slowly turned around and saw Harribel staring down at them, arms crossed. 

"That, is not a type of training..." 

The trio gulped at the tone of their mistress`s voice, and the icy look in her eyes.

"Ehm, you see, we were just looking at this to..."

"Find out what those two have really been up to! Y-yeah, that's right!"

Apacci and Mila Rose yelled out, looking at each other and nodding. Sung-Sun however, could feel Harribel`s anger growing at the other`s excuses.

When Apacci and Mila felt it too, they shut up.

"Listen well" Harribel started. 

"When Nelliel and Grimmjow return, you three will tell them what you did. And you will never tell them that you thought they were the ones doing the things described in that book.

Is. That. CLEAR?"

The three nodded feverishly, too terrified to do anything else. 

"Now, go to your room`s and stay there" the blond haired hollow finished. After the trio had left, she picked up the book and sighed.

"I guess I will have to explain it to them at some point then..."

She closed her eyes, not looking forward to that talk in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are wondering, Urahara wrote that book. 
> 
> So, that probably answers who the 'woman' in the story was, and why she talked about mewing.
> 
> I hope I managed to write a intentionally cringy smut scene well enough. It was definitely fun to write the girl`s reactions to it, hehe.
> 
> Let me know if you want to see more scenes like that in the future.
> 
> Till next time!


	8. The world of the living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Nel finish up things with Urahara for the time, and go to pay Ichigo a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with Grimmjow and Nel this chapter. 
> 
> Also more shenanigans with Urahara, because that's always fun.

Having finally finished their tea, Grimmjow and Nel put their cups down.

"Thank you" the green haired hollow said as she turned towards Urahara, giving a respectful bow of the head. Grimmjow just stood up, giving the shopkeeper a glare while doing so. Ignoring the panther hollow, Urahara gave the Nel a bow. 

"I am happy you enjoyed it. Now, I believe you wished for a list of all the products this shop has to offer?" The blond haired man reached inside his vest and pulled out a book. Handing it over to the female hollow, he gave her companion another smile.  
Grimmjow guessed it was supposed to be charming, but the man`s smug attitude was so apparent that the male hollow only felt annoyed.

Having finished flipping through the book, Nel smiled as she looked at Grimmjow. He looked back, before giving her a grin.

"So, he gave you something decent this time, instead of some bad porn book?" he asked with a teasing grin. Nel gave him a deadpan stare, clearly not amused at the reminder.

"~Oh my~" they heard the ex soul reaper captain exclaim. Both of them turning their gaze back at him, they saw that he had vipped out his fan and covered his face with it.

"What?" Nel asked in while raising an eyebrow at the eccentric man. The look Urahara was giving them gave her the feeling he was going to say something stupid, just to mess with them again.

"I am just shocked that the two of you have seemingly read such daring material in each other's company. Quite bold, if I do say so myself~". 

The sly look he gave her, along with his teasing tone, confused her for a moment. Then, the implications hit her. Glancing over at Grimmjow to see his reaction, she was surprised to see he was just giving the shopkeeper a unamused look.  
Then, a evil grin spread across his face.

"Of course she let me read it. After all, she had to show me how bad the stuff really was" he said. His voice was dripping with sadistic humor. 

He gave Nel a look as if to say, "Did he really think anyone would enjoy that crap?" While she was a bit taken aback by his casual reaction, she found herself starting to laugh at the disappointed look Urahara gave them.

he sighed, clearly disappointed at the lack of reaction from the hollows. "You said that you needed some new clothes as well, correct?" he asked, the disappointment still clear in in his voice. After Nel nodded at him, he walked back behind the curtains where he had made the tea earlier.

While waiting for him to come back, Nel gave Grimmjow a curious look. "What?"

"I am just surprised. You handled his teasing much better than you did earlier", she explained. Giving her a look, he put his hands in his pockets and looked away.  
"You just don't give them what they want. That is the best way to prevent guys like him, from enjoying messing with you" he said in a bored tone.

When he looked back at her, he was surprised to see her giving him a proud smile.

"Why are you giving me so many weird looks lately?" he asked, the annoyance clear on his face. Nel just shook her head. "I am just pleasantly surprised Grimmjow. That was a far more clever solution to that problem then I expected from you".

He gave her an unimpressed look. "Wow, you really suck at giving people compliments, you know that?" He turned away from her, muttering what Nel guessed was not very flattering words.

Then again, he did have a point.  
"I should not act like I am always superior. It is a flaw of mine, one that have caused many unfortunate things to happen in the past. It was probably a big reason for why Nnoitra became so obsessed with beating me", she realized. 

When she looked at Grimmjow, she felt a pang of guilt about the way she had been talking and thinking about him.  
"No one appreciates being looked down on, no matter who they are," she thought to herself.

"I am sorry".

He looked at her, the surprise in his face plain to see. 

"I should not have talked to you in such condescending way. I apologize", she said while bowing her head. Looking back up at him, she saw that he had a small, but far warmer smile then he normally had.  
Nel smiled back at him, her grey eyes warm.  
As they were standing there, smiling at each other, Urahara walked back out from the room behind the curtains.

This time however, he said nothing. He just coughed, getting the pair`s attention. When the two looked at him, he held out two strange figures that seemed to be made of wood. He was also holding a pair of cylinder shaped items. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to have what looked like animal heads at the top.  
When both hollows raised an eyebrow at him, Urahara started explaining:

"These will allow you to enter and excit a Gigai. They are artificial bodies, which soul reapers use when they want to interact with the human world". Urahara paused, letting the information sink in. "I need a little time to finish up your clothes, you see.  
So, I thought you could use these to visit a certain orange haired substitute soul reaper we are all acquainted with while you wait". 

Looking at each other, the two hollows slowly reached out and grabbed the items , their hesitation about this clear. While they examined the items, Urahara held out some folded clothes. 

"You will need clothes to put on. The Gigai does not take on the clothes its hosts are wearing, so I have picked out some outfits that will help you blend in with the living". 

When both of the hollows gave him deadpan looks, he raised an eyebrow quizzically.  
"Why are you giving me those looks?"

"Because we both thought you would normally not tell us this. Instead, you would laugh at us when we stood here naked and confused", Nel explained in a dry tone. 

The shopkeeper gasped with what was clearly false indignation. "You two really believe I would do something so inappropriate? And to two of my customers, at that?"  
Grimmjow fixed Urahara with a look. 

Urahara covered his face with his fan. "I can't believe you two think so little of me". The hollows just looked at each other, both of them beginning to get annoyed by the former captain`s ridiculous antics.

"Fine, do you need separate rooms to change in?" the blond asked.  
Nel turned to Grimmjow. 

"Do you mind going behind those curtains?" He looked at her for a few seconds, before shrugging. He then began walking towards the curtains. Urahara walked beside him, mumbling to himself about someone sucking all the fun out of things.

Nel put the clothes she had been given on the table, and started entering the Gigai. When she had fully entered it, she was a somewhat taken aback at suddenly having no clothes. However, she quickly began to put on the outfit Urahara had given her.

When she had finished dressing, she looked at her reflection in a mirror that stood close by. She now wore a pair of blue jeans, a plain white shirt and a grey hoodie. She had also put the underwear that had been in the bundle, but was somewhat creeped out that the shopkeeper had found something that fit her perfectly. Lastly, she put on a pair of white socks.

She then stood still, and tried to listen for any noises coming from the other room. She wondered what kind of outfit her companion had been given.  
She got her answer pretty quickly.

Grimmjow stepped out from behind the curtains. He was wearing a white shirt and a black leather jacket. Looking down, she saw that he was also wearing blue jeans, but his socks were black.  
When he walked over to her, Urahara followed him. She saw that he was holding a pair of shoes in each hand.

"Well, I think you both look great! Wouldn't you agree?" the blonde haired man asked enthusiastically.

Nel gave him a smile. "Yes, thank you". Grimmjow stared at the shopkeeper for a few tense seconds, before he simply nodded.

"I am pleased that you two are pleased". The man handed the hollows a pair of shoes each. While they put them on, Urahara pulled out a map from inside his coat.

"Here, I have marked were Kurosaki lives. I should warn you, it's probably wise that you knock and wait for them to open, rather then kick the door down".  
He said the last bit while looking at Grimmjow, who just flipped him off again.

"If something were to happen, just swallow one of the little orbs in those", he said while gesturing towards the cylinder shaped items. "That will let you enter your spirit form again".  
"I will contact you when your clothes are ready. Until then, have fun!~

While the blue haired man turned around and walked towards the exit, the green haired hollow bowed one last time. "Thank you once again".

"It was a pleasure" the man replied, with a much more genuine tone to his voice. When Nel looked up, she saw a genuinely friendly smile on his face. She nodded at him and then followed her companion outside.

OoOoO

It was now night. That meant there wasn't a lot of people out, wandering the streets. 

The ones that were however, all noticed the striking couple that were walking side by side. They also noticed the two were looking at a map. 

Finally, the two found a house that looked quite familiar to one of them. "I am sure this is the right one" Nel said. Grimmjow used his Pesquisa to sense the reiatsu`s inside the building. 

He smirked. "Yep, I feel his presence in there alright". He then looked down at Nel. "His girlfriend is in there too, along with what I assume are his whole damn family".

Nel clapped her hands and let out an excited squeal.

"~Oh, I get to see Orihime too. And meet his family! I am sure they will be so surprised to see us, don't you think?~"

Grimmjow turned his back towards the house, a wicked grin on his face.

"Yeah, I am sure he's gonna be really surprised, hehe".

The two hollows walked up to the house. Then, Grimmjow knocked on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be Grimmjow and Nel meeting Ichigo and the others, so look forward to that.


	9. Meeting the Kurosaki's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Nel get reacquainted with Ichigo and meet his family.

The two hollows heard several voices coming from inside the house. Two of them were instantly recognizable, while three others were not.

Grimmjow noted two voices that sounded like they belonged to young girls, and a deep male voice that had to be Kurosaki`s father. Nel on the other hand, was practically jumping up and down with giddiness. She was so excited to finally see two of her dear friends again.

There was a sound that indicated that someone had gotten up from their chair, before footsteps could be hear coming towards the door. Then, the door opened. 

His eyes closed and a hand ruffling his orange hair, Ichigo started speaking:

"I am sorry, but we are not interested in buying anything..."

When he opened his eyes however, he froze. His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the two hollows, gaping at the pair. 

"Yo. It's been a long time, hasn't it Kurosaki?" Grimmjow asked with his hands in his pockets, a wicked grin on his face. Ichigo seemed to tense at that, before:

"Ichigo!"

The youth let out a gasp as he was tackled and pulled into a hug by the other visitor. Looking down at the green haired woman rubbing herself towards him affectively, he asked in a baffled voice: "Nel?"

Pulling away from the still stunned youth, Nel beamed at him.  
"W-what are you doing here?" His eyes turned back towards Grimmjow. "And why is Grimmjow with you?"

The blue haired hollow gave him an unimpressed look. "You seriously can't remember?" The substitute soul reaper simply looked at him, clearly confused. 

Grimmjow put a hand on his head, ruffling his hair and let out an aggravated sigh. 

"Oh, don't be so grumpy Grimmjow. I'm sure he just had other things he needed to worry about! " Nel said, trying to soothe her annoyed companion`s mood. 

Turning his gaze back to the female hollow in front of him, Ichigo asked: "Why are you two here, Nel?" He took a good look at his old friend, finally noticing that she lacked her hollow mask. Glancing over at Grimmjow, he saw that the same applied to him.

"Well you see, we came to the world of the living to visit Urahara. There are certain things we can't really get in Hueco Mundo, ya know? So, we decided that since he owes us for helping him out, back in the war with the quincy`s, we could go to him to get some new clothes and some tea!"

Nodding slowly at the explanation, Ichigo replied: 

"That still doesn't answer why you two are here. Or why the two of you look like humans?" the orange haired youth asked in a deadpan voice.

Finally speaking up again, Grimmjow replied in a bored tone: "Because that damn shopkeeper needs some extra time to finish our clothes. And since he figured that Nel wanted to visit you, he gave us some Gigai so we could do so. I'm sure he thought it would make less shocking for you."

The last part was said with obvious sarcasam.

Ichigo closed his eyes and pinched his nose, clearly annoyed. The two hollows could hear him muttering to himself about giving that damn shopkeeper a good puch in the face the next time he saw him. Both of them could easily relate to his frustration with the ex-captain`s antics.

"Ichigo, who was it? You have been standing there for a while now!" One of the unfamiliar voices called out from inside the house.

"I'll be right there!" Ichigo shouted back. He turned his gaze back at the pair and sighed. 

"So, do you want to come in?" Nel's smiled widened at that. "You mean it?" "Yeah", he replied with a casual shrug. Then his eyes hardened. "Just don't talk about anything that has to do with soul reaper stuff. I want to keep that stuff away from my sisters. Got it?"

The last part was directed specifically at Grimmjow, who just raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean that your old man knows about it?" He asked, genuinely curious. Ichigo just nodded.

Shrugging his shoulders, the male hollow gave a small nod, to show that he would not speak of the other life the orange haired youth led. Satisfied, Ichigo stepped to the side, signaling to the two that they could enter the house.

The pair entered, looking around at things. Both of them were clearly interested in how different this was, compared to their rooms back in Las Noches. Eventually, they stepped into the living room and spotted the group of people sitting at the dinner table. Nel immediately rushed over to the girl sitting on the end of the table.

"Orihime! It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed as she pressed the girl`s face into her bosom. The other three that were sitting around the table looked stunned at seeing this gorgeous woman none of them knew, act so friendly towards Inoue.  
They also took notice of the blue haired man that was standing next to the green haired woman. 

Karin and Yuzu both flinched when he turned his attention towards them. His intense blue eyes caused them to feel a shiver down their spines. He then turned his gaze to Isshin, looking at him with curiosity before giving him a smirk any street-punk would applaud.

Meanwhile, Nel finally let go of Orihime. She took a moment to catch her breath before giving the hollow a big smile. "Nel! It is so nice to see you." Then, a slightly worried expression came over her face. 

"Is everything alright? Do you need our help again?" she asked, the compassion she had for others showing once again. Nel quickly shook her head, giving her a calming smile to quell her worries. 

"No, no, everything is fine. I just wanted to visit you guys since I was nearby." 

Visibly relaxing at that, Orihime beamed at the older girl. "That`s great. We did not get to say a proper goodbye, and thank you for your help the last time we saw you." She waved her hand at Grimmjow to catch his attention. When he turned to look at her, she smiled warmly at him too.

Bowing her head at him, she said: "Thank you for saving Mr. Urahara and Miss Yoruichi." 

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at that. He had not expected to be thanked for anything during this visit, considering he had come to pick a fight with his old rival. Everyone turned their heads however, when they heard a gasp.

They saw that Yuzu had clapped her hands together, and was looking up at Grimmjow with stars in her eyes.

"Did you really save Mr. Urahara`s kitty, mister?" 

Grimmjow, Nel and Orihime all seemed stunned at the question. Luckily Ichigo, who had finally returned to the living room, stepped in to answer the question.

"That's right. He managed to save Mr. Urahara and Miss Yoruichi from a terrible accident." He paused for a moment, before giving the blue haired hollow a cheeky grin.

"You see, Grimmjow here has a strong kinship with cats. So it's no wonder he would come to the rescue of one. Just like a true hero~"

By the final line, Ichigo had a full shit eating grin on. Grimmjow gave him a look that could kill, while Nel and Orihime struggled to not laugh. Isshin and Karin just looked confused.

"Hey Ichigo, just who are these two? Are they friends of you and Orihime?" Karin finally asked. Realising her hold on Inoue, Nel walked over to Ichigo and hugged him again. This time, everyone except for Grimmjow was flustered by the display of affection.

"Yes, Ichigo is a very dear friend to me. He saved my life in the past", Nel said while looking at the others with a warm smile. While Ichigo's family looked at him with surprise, Orihime looked a little conflicted. 

"Maybe you should cool it with the hugging, Nelliel. I don't think his girlfriend appreciates you cuddling with him like that. Especially in front of the guy`s family", Grimmjow drawled. 

His gaze was on the blushing girl, and he raised an eyebrow at her cheekily. His grin showed his amusement at the the orange haired teen`s flustered state. 

While Ichigo and Orihime tried to fumble together some kind of sentence, Nel stepped to stand next to Grimmjow. Looking a little guilty, she tried to apologize: 

"I am sorry Orihime. I didn't know you and Ichigo were a couple now." 

The pair were now both blushing red, and unable to look at each other. Finally, Isshin spoke up:

"Haha, I am sure that if a boy as rough around the edges as my son here managed to get a girlfriend as cute as Orihime, he would have told us immediately. Right, Ichigo?"

If possible, the two teenagers became even more red and tried to look anywhere other than at Ichigo's father.

He looked back and forth between the two, before realization suddenly hit him.

"Wait a minute..."

His jaw dropped.

"Is that why you invited Orihime over for dinner tonight!?" He exclaimed as loudly as possible.

Ichigo and Orihime just looked at each other and blushed, before the girl nodded her head shyly. Bursting into tears, Isshin rushed over to the large photo of Masaki in the room, kneeling in front of it.

"I can't believe it Masaki! Our little boy has finally grown up and gotten himself a girlfriend. And such a cute one too!"

As the man continued crying and talking loudly to the picture, Grimmjow and Nel just look on, completely baffled. 

"Is that seriously Kurosaki's dad?" Grimmjow asked, his disbelief clear.

When the two looked over at Karin and Yuzu, the two girls gave confirming nods, as if saying:

"Yes, he is. Hard to believe, right?"

Nel honestly found the man to be somewhat charming, if not a little embarrassing with his loud outbursts. Grimmjow, on the other hand, looked like he didn't know whether to frown in disgusted or grin with delighted at the idiot that apparently was Kurosaki's father.

Eventually settling on amused, he walked over to Ichigo and tapped him on the shoulder. When the orange haired teen looked at him, he gestured towards the stairs. Understanding that the blue haired man wanted to talk about something, Ichigo got up.

"Grimmjow and I just need to talk about something in private, okay? We'll`be back in a moment". Orihime looked a little surprised at first, before understanding dawned in her eyes. 

"Alright, just be back in time for dinner, okay!~" 

Nodding, Ichigo led Grimmjow up the stairs. He open the door to his room, and closed it after the hollow had entered.

"So", the teen crossed his arms, "what was it you wanted to talk with me about?"

Grimmjow gave Ichigo a cold glare, his expression unreadable. "Do you remember what I told you, back when we were traveling to the quincy`s stronghold?" The blue haired man pasued for a moment to allow the substitute soul reaper to think. 

"I told you that I was working with you guys, because if those fuckers got their way, Hueco Mundo would be destroyed. And you and I still have some unfinished business, Kurosaki."

The hollow and the human locked eyes, the tension in the room raising. 

"I helped you out, just like I promised. So now, it's time you returned the favour". The last part was said with a feral grin.

Ichigo frowned and then he sighed. 

"Fine. I will fight you in Hueco Mundo again, Grimmjow." He fixed the hollow with a look. 

"On one condition." The hollow raised an eyebrow at that. "It will not be a fight to the death. You and I have no real reason to kill each other anymore. And besides", Ichigo gave Grimmjow a genuine smile, "I don't think Orihime or Nel would be happy if the two of us killed each other. Don`t you agree?"

The youth extended a hand to the hollow, who`s expression had become unreadable again. The hollow eyed the hand for a few very tense seconds...

Before he grabbed it and shook it in a firm grasp. ""Fine," he sighed, "it's probably the best deal I`l get." 

He locked eyes with Ichigo again. "I will contact you when I am ready. When that happens, we will settle this, once and for all. Got it?"

Ichigo grinned back at him. ""Sure. After all, Zangetsu and I have not been able to have a proper fight in ages. Fighting you again will be a chance to see just how strong we really are now". As the two grinned at each other, a voice called out from down below:

"You two, dinner is ready!"

Releasing his hand from their handshake, Ichigo pointed towards the door. "Do you and Nel want to stick around for dinner? There is more than enough for everyone." Grimmjow had a contemplating look, before he shrugged. "Eh, what the hell. It`s gotta be better then the stuff we have in Las Noches right now", he said as he followed the youth down the stairs.

Nel and Orihime was already sitting by the table, smiling at the two as they descended the stairs. 

While Ichigo gave a soft smile as he took a seat next to Inoue, Grimmjow`s face was blank as he sat down next to Nel. However, there was a shine in his eyes as he locked eyes with her. When she looked more closely, she could spot the beginnings of a genuine smile at the corner of his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write. Next one will probably be about Grimmjow and Nel returning to Hueco Mundo with the items they came for. 
> 
> And learn about what the Tres Bestias did in their absence, hehe.
> 
> Till next time!


	10. Confessions and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Nel return to Las Noches. The Tres Bestias confess what they did during their absence.

Grimmjow and Nel stepped through the garganta, and felt the familiar chill of Hueco Mundo on their skin once again. 

Both of them were holding bags. Nel was carrying the one containing the tea and book of products that Urahara`s shop sold, while Grimmjow was carrying the bag filled with clothes. Cracking his neck and letting out a sigh, the blue haired hollow frowned while looking at the entrance to Las Noches. 

Nel glanced at him, a curious expression on her face. 

"Is there something wrong?" She asked with a subtle hint of worry in her voice. Grimmjow shook his head. 

"It's nothing. I am just, not looking forward to having to eat whatever we have here in Hueco Mundo, after the food we just got served at Kurosaki`s place." Nel hummed in agreement. Then she gave her companion a smile.

"Well, when we were saying goodbye, Orihime said that we would be welcome to come over to her place for dinner once in a while!" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "Really?" 

"Yeah! And she even said that she would use some of her own, self-invented recipes. Isn't that sweet of her?" At that moment, Grimmjow could feel a chill going down his spine. Without saying a word, he used sonido and set off towards the main castle in Las Noches. 

"Hey, wait! Why didn't you say anything?! Grimmjow!" Nel pouted with confusion, before shrugging and following the male hollow.

OoOoO

Harribel was standing in the throne room, her arms crossed. She looked over at the three girls standing next to her, giving each of them a stern look. The trio shifted their feet in a manner that made their discomfort very clear. Sung-Sun was holding the book they had stolen behind her back.

Harribel had made it clear that it was the three of them`is responsibility, to come clean and explain what they had done.

She would not lie the herself however, that she was a bit nervous about how the pair would react. "Hopefully those three don't say anything that will make it worse, ”she thought to herself. Then, she frowned. 

She had just had rundown in her mind, about how any situation were those three handled something themselves, ended. And she had realized, that those situations usually did not end well. 

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

Just then, Grimmjow and Nel entered the room. The green-haired woman was talking to the blue-haired man. He, however, was looking straight ahead, seemingly tuning her out. Then, she noticed the group that was standing in the room. 

Walking over to them, she put down her bag and opened it. "This is all the different types of tea that Urahara gave us. Plus, that book of everything they sell there." Nel gave them a warm smile. "Please, feel free to look!"

At the same time, Grimmjow had also walked over. He slung the bag he had been carrying on the ground and said in a bored tone: "There are clothes in that bag for everyone. Pick whatever you like, as long as it's obviously not the stuff meant for me."

Harribel raised an eyebrow at the pair. "None of us made any requests for new clothing?" While Nel gave her an awkward smile, Grimmjow replied: 

"He said that it was a gift, for what he hoped would be regular customers." He then paused, before continuing in a deadpan tone: "He also said that none of you needed to worry about the clothes fitting. He already had your measurements."

While Harribel only reacted by narrowing her eyes, the other girls were a bit more vocal in their reactions.

"Why the hell does that bastard know our measurements! Did he creep on us during that time we had been knocked out by that quincy bastard?! Oh, the next time we see him, he is so dead!" The trio continued their quarreling before Harribel coughed, getting their attention.

"While I understand your anger at the implications of this man's statement, there is something you three need to explain yourself." 

At that statement, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun all feel silent and glanced at each other nervously. The duo that had visited the world of the living both looked over at Harribel. Their expressions seemed to ask: "What is this about?"

Finally, Sung-Sun seemed to gather up her courage. She walked over and held out the book towards Nel. "I am truly sorry, lady Nelliel. While the two of you were away, the three of us snuck into you room and stole this." 

Nel took the book and looked at the three with a bemused expression. "I see. And why exactly did you find this book so interesting, that you felt the need to steal it from my quarters?"

While her tone was teasing, she seemed genuinely curious as to why the girls had wanted this particular book, of all things.

Sung-Sun seemed unable to answar. Instead, she covered her face with her sleeve. "Is she blushing? Why?" Nel pondered. She was startled however, when Apacci suddenly yelled out: "We thought it was a journal!"

When she saw that everyone`s eyes were now on her, the deer hollow seemed to lose her confidence. "We thought it would tell us what kind of training the two of you have been doing..." She muttered in a sullen tone.

Then, before Harribel could think to stop her, when she realised what she was about to say, she continued with: "Instead it was about some other kind of activity we thought you two had been doing, that apparently wasn't some kind training?!"

The black haired girl looked over at Mila Rose with a face that seemed to say: "What a let-down, am I right?" The dark skinned hollow was not looking at her however. 

Both she and Sung-Sun were staring at Harribel, looking absolutely terrified.

Harribel was radiating with a dark aura, which everyone in the room could feel. 

"S-so anyway" Apacci turned towards Grimmjow and Nel and bowed, "we are really sorry!" Then, she immediately used sonido to escape. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun apologised in a similar manner to the pair, before they too vanished.

Harribel turned to the two and inclined her head in an apologetic bow. "I'm really sorry for the behavior of those three. I assure you, something like this will not happen again."

Nel just waved her hand, as if to say: "It's fine, no harm done", while sweatdropping at the absurdity of the situation. Grimmjow was just standing there with a blank expression. 

Standing up again, Harribel said: "I am very grateful for the things you brought. I will try to repay you both when I get the chance." Then, she too vanished with sonido.

Grimmjow and Nel were left standing there alone. Nel seemed to be somewhat amused by it all. She did hope that Harribel would make sure the trio did not invade her privacy like that again. Although...

"I do feel a little bad for those three. I have a feeling Harribel is not going to go easy on them", she said while looking up at Grimmjow. She was surprised however, when she saw that he was looking out into the air. 

He had a very contemplating look on his face, and she had to poke him softly in the shoulder before he looked at her. "What are you thinking about?" She asked. 

A flurry of emotions went over his face, before he grinned at her in his usual way. 

"I am just thinking about the fact that Harribel probably has to give those three "The Talk", given that they thought the stuff in that book was some kind of training." 

Nel couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yes, I do believe those three need some education on things off that nature. But I have a feeling that, given she seems to view those three as her daughters, she wanted to preserve their innocence."

Grimmjow laughed loudly at that. "I guess it's easier to train them to fight and survive in a wasteland like this, then it is to explain to them what sex is." 

Nel chuckled softly. "I am a little surprised that those three are seemingly that innocent. They do have quite the mouth on them, after all." Grimmjow smiled at her, before replying in an amused tone: "I think those guys that follow you around, are vulgar enough for all of Las Noches."

Nel glared at him, but the twitch at the corners of her lips gave away that she saw the truth in Grimmjow`s statement. Shaking her head, she gave the panther hollow a smile before saying: "I should go and give them the clothes Urahara made for them. I am sure they will be happy."

Grimmjow nodded, before replying: "Sure, just let me pick out my clothes first." 

After he had finished, Nel grabbed the both of the bags. As she held them in each hand, she smiled at him one last time. Then, she walked away as she hummed a song they had heard in the world of the living.

As she walked away, Grimmjow once again had that contemplating look. 

He thought about what Apacci had said, that she had thought that they were the ones doing the things in that book. He thought about how Nel had conviced him to come back and live in Las Noches again, to train with her. 

He thought about how she talked to him, how she had apologized to him for acting like she was superior. How she laughed at the dry remarks he made and how she seemed to understand how important his rivalry with Ichigo was to him.

How her formal and dignified posture while they spared masked her incredible fierceness and power. How her emerald hair flowed down her shoulders, shining softly in the moonlight.

How her gray eyes seemed so fond when she looked at him and her smiles were filled with such warmth.

"Well damn", he said while looking down and ruffling his hair. Then, he looked up again, now with a genuine smile on his face.

"I guess that happened without either of us realising, huh?"


	11. Compassion and camaraderie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Nel is away, Halibel has a talk with Grimmjow. As they wander along Las Noches while doing so, they come across a familiar little fellow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some time has passed since the last chapter, around a couple of months. 
> 
> In this time, Nel have gotten closer to Halibel and her companions, now being quite friendly, but still somewhat formal with them.
> 
> Grimmjow, on the other hand, mostly keeps to himself, and the only one he spends time with regularly is Nel.

Halibel was standing in one of the stretches of sand that were between the Espada`s palaces. She had just finished checking up on the last palace, making sure that all of those that were still around, were in a decent condition.

The blonde haired hollow used sonido, and was quickly back at the main palance. She used her pesquisa, and located Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun.  
All three of them, were in their room. 

She assumed they were currently resting. She had given them permission to do so, after they had finished their training for the day (or whatever counts as a day in Las Noches).

She could also locate Nel's companions, who were currently in her residence. She figured they were most likely coming up with some silly antics to entertain each other with.  
After all, the the green haired hollow was currently away, once again visiting her friends in the living world.

Halibel would admit that she missed the presence Nelliel brought to Las Noches. The other female Espada had a kind heart and a nice sense of humor, both of which Halibel appreciated.

However, the other woman also had a level of quiet confidence and level-headedness. And as much as Halibel loved her three younger companions, Nel's personality offered up a nice change of pace from the trio`s usual loud banter.

But, there was still one other hollow living in Hueco Mundo, that everyone, except Nel, still seemed approached with caution.  
Using her pesquisa once again, Halibel located Grimmjow. He was currently in his usual residence, his old palace.

The blue haired male had declined to go with Nel this time, although Halibel did not really know the reasons why.  
While he did not show it, Nel told her that Grimmjow always seemed to enjoy their visits to the world of the living.

This time however, he had selected to stay behind. 

As all of this went through her head, the current queen of Hueco Mundo came to a realization.

"Nelliel has asked me to try and have a talk with him for some time now. And this is probably the best opportunity to do so, without anyone interrupting", Halibel thought to herself.

Using her sonido once again, Halibel quickly reached Grimmjow`s home. She eventually ended up on a balcony, where the panther hollow was currently standing.

He was leaning against the rail of the balcony with his back, his eyes closed. His posture showed that he was currently at ease.

He opened his eyes as Halibel landed in front of him, and looked at her with while raising an eyebrow.

"Hello Grimmjow", she said in a stern, but not unfriendly tone.

The male hollow stepped away from the rail, and stood up straight. He had moved his hands into his pockets, which she had noticed he often did when he was not in the mood for a fight.  
After looking at her for a while with an unreadable expression, he finally asked:

"What brings you here? I don't recall doing anything that would cause your little girls to run crying to you, complaining that I was mean to them?"

He was grinning at her now. His voice was also tinged with the familiar dark humor she knew he had, and his blue eyes had certain shine to them, that they only got when he was messing with someone.

Halibel closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She knew that this was just his way of trying to provoke her. She would not fall for it.  
This time, she had made up her mind. She would try to have a serious talk with the blue haired male. 

Opening her eyes, she looked at him with a serious expression

"I am not here on behalf of those three, Grimmjow", she said, giving him a stern look. "I am here, simply because I wish to talk with you."

Looking surprised at that, Grimmjow eyed her with clear scepticism.

"Why?", he asked.

"I wish for us to be on more friendly, or at least, more civil terms", the blonde replied. Crossing her arms over her chest in her usual fashion, she continued:

"I know that you and Nelliel are rather close these days." He averted his eyes at that, frowning slightly as he stared out at the endless desert.

Halibel was a little surprised at that reaction.

But, she figured that Grimmjow probably just didn't like to have his friendship with the green haired hollow pointed out like that. Especially by a third party like her.

"So, I had hoped that since she is away for the moment, visiting your acquaintances in the world of the living, that..."

She paused, trying to find the best way to put it.

"That the two of us could talk? Become friends? And then when she comes back, we could surprise her with such an amazing development?", Grimmjow said in a dry tone.

Halibel simply nodded, which once again surprised the blue haired Arrancar. 

"I am not a fool, nor am I trying to be disrespectful, Grimmjow", Halibel said. 

Her green eyes meet his blue.  
He could see the sincerity in them, despite Halibel`s otherwise cool expression.

The blue haired male closed his eyes. After letting out a sigh and ruffling his hair with one of his hands, Grimmjow once again looked at the current queen of Hueco Mundo.

This time though, his expression was more open. And while he was still frowning, his eyes had a more friendly glint to them, unlike the taunting one they had before.

"Alright. So, what do you want to talk with me about?"

Although most of her face was hidden by her collar, like it usually was, the panther hollow could tell that Halibel was smiling at him.

"If you don't mind, would you accompany me outside to the dunes of Las Noches?", Halibel asked.  
When Grimmjow raised his eyebrows, silently questioning "why?", the blond hollow explained:

"I would simply like to walk along how the dunes of Hueco Mundo again. It has been such a long time since I, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun wandered the desert, before coming to live here", Halibel said.

She sounded somewhat melancholy, her green eyes looking out at the desert that surrounded them on all corners.

Grimmjow`s eyes also wandered along the desert landscape, recalling his own memories of his time spent there, both before and after his time as an Espada.

"Sure", he said in a quiet tone. 

When she turned her head to look at him, Halibel saw that he had a far more somber expression then before.  
In fact, she didn't believe she had ever seen such an expression on the blue haired man's face.

It was an expression that made him look far more reflective, and, for lack of a better term, human, than Halibel had thought him capable of.

Nodding her head to show him her gratitude for accepting her request, Halibel then turned her gaze back to the desert of Hueco Mundo.

Taking of with Sonido, she could feel Grimmjow following right behind her. 

The two continued to fly through the endless night for a long time, both of them silent. As they flew, the pale light of the crescent moon was the only thing that illuminated their path.

Eventually, Halibel stopped and descended, landing on the sandy ground in an elegant way. Grimmjow landed beside her, his powerful Reiatsu causing a lot of sand to fly into the air before falling down around them both.

Using her hand to brush the sand out of her hair, Halibel sent the male hollow a tired look. "Was that really necessary, Grimmjow?"

He simply grinned at her, before replying: "I think your landing was elegant enough for a thousand hollows... your highness."

Shaking her head at her at the panther hollow`s behaviour, Halibel started walking along the sand.  
Chuckling to himself, Grimmjow followed her, his grin still in place.

After the two had walked for a time, Halibel glanced over at Grimmjow.

"Tell me something Grimmjow", she began. "Why didn't you accompany Nelliel this time? I was under the impression that you enjoyed your trips to the world of the living with her?"

Grimmjow's grin disappeared, and he looked straight forward as he answered.

"I know that she wants to see Kurosaki and that little girlfriend of his and all of those other humans that he hangs around with. And, despite what she says, I know there is a part of her that is always worried that I'm gonna do something that will cause one of them to get hurt."

His voice now had a cold edge to it, and when Halibel glanced at his hands, she saw that they were now shaking slightly. As he clenched them into fists, she couldn't help but wonder to herself:

"Why does that anger him so much? Is it because he knows she is right to worry, or is it something else..."

Looking at his face, the blonde hollow was surprised to see the pained expression on Grimmjow`s face. 

In that moment, she felt a wave of compassion for the male hollow. Caught up in that moment, she did something that shocked both herself and the blue haired Arrancar.

She reached out, and grabbed Grimmjow's arm, causing both of them to stop on the spot.

"I respect you for doing that, Grimmjow", Halibel said. Grimmjow's face, which had almost formed into a feral snarl, quickly morphed into one of confusion.

"I know what aspect of death you embody", Halibel continued. She was now looking down. Her voice was soft as she kept on explaining her actions.

"You were the Espada who represented destruction. Given your love of battle, and level of strength, it was no wonder Aizen felt that was the aspect of death that best suited you..."

Halibel then raised her head, her green eyes looking straight into Grimmjow's blue ones.

"But those titles, are not just simple descriptions that define us, or lock us in the roles he wished us to fulfill", she said firmly.

"Destruction is more than just senseless violence and misery, Grimmjow."

"What are you talking about?" The blue haired Arrancar asked, his eyes narrowed as he looked at her with scrutiny.

"I am saying, that you have already showed that you can embody different forms of destruction Grimmjow", Halibel said calmly.

"Take the times you and Nel found me in the quincy`s fortress, or when you returned to once again live in Las Noches. In the past, I don't think I am wrong in assuming that you would have been willing to simply leave me there, or, might have simply killed me.  
After all, it would most certainly have made your goal of becoming king of Hueco Mundo far easier."

Halibel gave him a poignant look. "And yet, you did not. If you truly just embodied destruction in its most conventional meaning, I am sure you would have done so..."

Grimmjow ripped his arm away from Halibel's grip and averted his gaze, making a "tch" sound while doing so. 

"Why are both of you women so obsessed with finding my reasons for doing things", he muttered, clearly annoyed.

"I do not know Nelliel's reasons. However, the reason I care about such things..." 

Halibel crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I have been thinking about certain things. Things, that could possibly make Hueco Mundo... better."

The blue haired man turned his head, and looked at her with, the doubt in his face palpable.

"Are you serious?" His blue eyes searched her face, looking for any signs of dishonesty. However, he could not find any in the blond hollow`s face.

Halibel looked out into the horizon, before she began telling Grimmjow the events that occurred after the battle in the fake Karakura town.

"After Aizen was defeated, we were healed by the human girl named Orihime Inoue, thanks to Apacci asking her for her help", she explained. 

Recalling the girl`s deep empathy, even for her enemies, Grimmjow nodded slightly. Noticing this, Halibel continued her story.

"When we returned to Hueco Mundo afterwards, Sung-Sun asked me to assume the position of queen of Hueco Mundo, since both Baraggan and Starrk were dead. Mila Rose and Apacci also encouraged me to do so", Halibel said.

"I however, stated that Hueco Mundo did not need a ruler. I believed that this world was one of darkness...and that it only needed a peaceful darkness, rather than being in a constant state of conflict like it was in the past."

Halibel's green eyes seemed full of regret at the memory.

"Now, I think I was wrong to belive that. I thought that if declared myself queen, that I would simply be a fake sun. One that could not illuminate the darkness of this world.  
Instead, I thought I would only fill those three's heads with false hopes that things would be changing for the better..."

The shark hollow's eyes then narrowed and her voice gained a new strength, as she once again turned to face her male companion.

"I know that Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends came to Hueco Mundo to aid Nel and her friends when the quincy's invaded. And that both you and she helped in bringing down some of their strongest members.  
And, most importantly of all, that you did so by working together with the soul reapers."

Halibel looked up into the sky, at the crescent moon that was shining above them.

"All of those things, have made me think of something. A way of possibly making this world a better one. Or at least, give us the potential to change things ourselves."

The blond lowered her gaze and looked at Grimmjow to see his reaction. She was surprised to see that he had an expression that seemed to be a mix of intrigued and bored.

Ruffling his hair, he looked at her with a small smirk.

"So, I'm guessing that you wanna hear my opinion on this, right?", he asked.

His tone of voice while asking was casual. But, when his eyes meet Halibel's, she was surprised to see that they seemed to be filled with genuine respect.

"Well, if I'm gonna be honest", Grimmjow began, while putting his hands in his pockets in his usual way. "I'm not to fond of those soul reaper bastards. But, as you said, teaming up with them was what enabled us to kill those damn sternritters.  
And if you serious in actually wanting to change this place for the better..."

The panther hollow shrugged his shoulders and gave her a small, but surprisingly friendly, grin.

"It's definitely more interesting than anything that old bastard ever tried to do. Although..." 

His grin turned into a more familiar one, the one he always got before going into battle.

"I am planning to have another fight with Kurosaki here in Hueco Mundo. So, maybe you should hold off your plans for a little while longer, your majesty."  
The last part was said with a slightly mocking tone.

Halibel merely gave him a brief nod, before replying: "Just tell me when the two of you are going to fight. That way the rest of us can prepare some hearing protection."

Her voice now had a teasing tone, and her eyes shone with a subtle glint of humor.

"After all, I watched the two of you battle in Las Noches, when he came to save that girl. And if the two of you made such a mess back then, I can't imagine what the two of you would do now."

Grimmjow actually laughed at that. "That's fair", he replied with an amused grin.

The two stood there in comfortable silence, both of them still chuckling at the other's witty remarks.

Then suddenly, they both heard a roar. Using their pesquisa, both of them quickly located were the sound had come from.  
They could also feel another presence, though it seemed much weaker than the other one.

Using their sonido, they rushed towards the sound. When they arrived at the source of the two presences, they saw a huge, multi limbed hollow. 

It was crawling towards something with its mouth wide open, ready to devour whatever it was hunting.

In a flash, Grimmjow now stood right in front of it, stopping the creature dead in its tracks. The blue haired man glared at it and slightly exerted his Spiritual Pressure, as a warning for it to back off.

The hollow merely roared again, and charged at the panther hollow. 

But, suddenly it stopped. Slowly it began to fall to the ground, it's mask cracking apart.

A click could be heard as Grimmjow let his sword slide back into its sheath, watching as the hollow in front of him dissolved.

Turning around, he looked for the source of the other presence he had felt. Then, he looked down as he heard a excited “Woof!”

Halibel appeared next to him, her eyes widening at the sight of the small, dog-like hollow. 

"That was Yammy’s", she told Grimmjow. He too seemed to remember where he had seen the little hollow, now that Halibel’s words had jogged his memory.

"We encountered him when we first returned to Hueco Mundo after Aizen’s defeat", the blond said. "I didn't think it would have survived all this time on its own", she added quietly.

Grimmjow looked at her without saying anything, before turning his gaze back to the small hollow. 

It was running around them, barking happily and wagging its tail.

"Why didn't you guys bring it with you? I am sure that huge idiot was dead by then. And, I know you arent`t the type to just leave someone, knowing they would probably die."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at her, looking genuinely curious.

Halibel sighed, before explaining the reason.

"Apacci tried to bring it with her, but it wanted to stay behind. I'm guessing it wanted to wait for its master to return."

Shaking her head, the blond added: "I regretted that, but I didn't want to disrespect the devotion it so clearly had for Yammy."

"I see", Grimmjow simply said. The small hollow had stopped in front of him, still wagging its tail.

He knelt down, looking into its eyes.

"That guy you are waiting for...He's not coming." 

There was no glee or sadness in Grimmjow’s voice. Merely the truth. 

The dog like hollow tilted it`s head, letting out a sad whine.

"But, you have survived this long. So either you are insanely lucky, or you're a lot smarter then you look", the man said with a wry grin.  
"I'm leaning towards the first."

The dog barked conversationally at him, prompting a small chuckle from the blue haired hollow.

"Well, see you around", Grimmjow said while standing up. He gestured to Halibel that they should go.  
She nodded. But, as the two started to walk away:

"Tap, tap, tap."

They turned around to see that the small hollow was following them. He stopped right beside Grimmjow, barking up at the blue haired Arrancar.

Halibel’s eyes widened in surprise. "I...think it wishes to come with you, Grimmjow", she said slowly.

The hollow barked at that, like it was trying to confirm the blond’s statement.

Rubbing the back of his head, the blue haired man muttered: "Now that’s pretty ironic, isn't it?"

Turning towards Halibel, he asked a question: "Do you remember what its name is?"

Thinking back to when their time as Espada, Halibel suddenly recalled what name Aizen had once used to address the dog with.

"Kukkapūro", she said. "I believe its name is Kukkapūro."

Said dog barked happily and wagged its tail energetically, as if it was overjoyed that someone knew its name.

"So, do you really want to come back with us to Las Noches?" Grimmjow asked it, his blue eyes meeting the dog’s black eyes.

The dog gave a soft whine, rubbing against the panther hollow’s leg and looking up at him with a pleading expression.

He sighed, before bending down and picking it up. "I don't even like dogs", he muttered half heartedly.

Halibel didn't say anything, but she had a warm look in her eyes as they began their journey back to Las Noches.

"That, is the destruction I meant, Grimmjow", she thought to herself. 

"The destruction of the old ways of Hueco Mundo, where the strong devoured the weak, and no one could count on a simple act of kindness.  
Now, I'm sure that you can help make our world a better one."

"Because, I now know that you are capable of both compassion and camaraderie."

And so, the two walked in silence, only interrupted by Kukkapūro’s happy barkings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a cool chapter to write. It was fun to write Halibel and Grimmjow interacting. 
> 
> Now, I think I can finally start developing the Espada trio’s friendship!
> 
> A lot of this chapter’s content and dialogue was inspired by the Bleach short story 'Nestle to Night', from the 'Unmasked' book.
> 
> And yes, Grimmjow now has his own little puppy hollow to keep him company. The irony of that was just too good to pass up.  
Plus, Kukkapūro is a good boy, and deserves a new master. One who will pet him and treat him well. And all the others in Las Noches will also be happy to do so, hehe.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed! :)


	12. Bathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon returning to Las Noches, Nel meets Grimmjow’s new companion. 
> 
> Afterwards, the male hollow tries to relax by taking a bath... Only for him to get a lot of company.

Grimmjow was frowning as he looked at the scene in front of him. The little dog hollow who had stayed by his side since he picked it up on that trip he and Halibel had went on, was now nuzzling up to Nelliel.

The green haired female was laughing softly, while crouching down and smiling at the little masked creature. He was eagerly licking her face, while occasionally stopping to let out some happy barks. By the wagging of his tail, it was clear how happy the little hollow was.

"This is certainly a pleasant surprise", Nel said while standing up, raising an eyebrow at the blue haired male. He was still looking at her with an unamused expression, his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah", he said with a glance down at the little hollow, who was still standing by Nel’s feet. "Me and Halibel found him out in the middle of nowhere. When we were about to leave, it kept following me. So, I decided I might as well bring it back here".

The last part was said with a shrug. 

"I figured that if it has survived this long, it might not be so bad to have around".

The former third Espada had a sceptical look on her face, but didn't`t say anything. Instead, she focused on something else that Grimmjow had revealed during that explanation.

"You and Halibel spent time together while I was away?"

Seeing her puzzled face, Grimmjow smirked. "Yeah, she wants the three of us to be on friendlier terms. Apparently, she has some big plans for Hueco Mundo going forward. And because of that, she wants to two of us at her side, offering up moral support and shit."

When Nel frowned at him, he grinned at her. 

"What, you think I told her to fuck off, or something? Have a little more faith in me, would ya?"

While her eyes widened in surprise, Nel quickly composed herself. Her gaze seemed intrigued as she looked at the still grinning panther hollow.

"So you actually said you would support her?" 

Grimmjow grin widened just a bit at that. "I told her that I could at least respect the fact that she wants to actually do something with the power she now has. That is more then that old pile of bones ever did. Plus, she said that she would be fine with me and Kurosaki fighting here in Hueco Mundo."

"Well, at least as long as we let the rest of you know in advance, so you could get some hearing protection."

At that, Nel let out a small laugh. Her eyes were warm as she looked at the man standing in front of her, still grinning in his usual way.

Then, after a few moments of amiable silence, Grimmjow turned around and began walking away. 

"I'm gonna go and take a bath. See you later."

Kukkapūro let out a yelp and ran after him. Looking after them as they vanished behind a wall, Nel had a pensive expression for a while. Then, a mischievous smirk began to spread across her face.

OoOoO

Grimmjow was lying in the one of the baths in the main castle in Las Noches. 

He still found it somewhat funny that out of all the things Aizen felt was necessary to have in his fortress, baths were one of the things he prioritized.

"That bastard had no real problem with all the killing and mutilating we did, as long as we cleaned ourselves afterwards", the blue haired man thought to himself. 

"He did have a thing for wanting us to be civilised, sitting around and drinking tea and shit." He leaned his haed back and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. 

"Glad I never have to see that smug fucking face of his, ever again."

He opened his eyes and looked at Kukkapūro, who was paddling around in the large bath. The small dog hollow turned it`s face towards him and let out a happy bark. The way it was wagging its tail, was making the water behind it fly around.

Grimmjow closed his eyes once again, enjoying the warmth of the water. He was nearly half asleep, when he suddenly heard something hitting the ground, and then someone entering the water a few meters away from him.

Looking over at them, he saw it was Nelliel sitting there, letting out a pleased sigh as most of her body was fully submerged under the water. 

Turning her head to look at him, she raised an eyebrow at the blue haired male. "Surprised? It has been a while since I have visited the baths as well, you know."

Looking at her with an annoyed glare, Grimmjow sighed in aggravation. "And you had to pick the bath I was already in, because...?"

The beautiful female hollow smiled at him. "Because, Orihime told me that bathing together is a excellent way of bonding with those you are close to!", she said in a cheery voice.

Grimmjow did not look convinced at the explanation of this so called 'method of bonding'. His glare softened however, as he took in the sight of his bathing companion`s naked form.  
While she was not sitting in a manner that really displayed anything, he could still see the very attractive curves of her body. Not to mention, her toned muscles that, in his opinion, added a very pleasing contrast to her normally gentle facial features.

"Hum?" Nel was letting out a soft musing sound, as she glanced over at Grimmjow. "Are you warming up to the bathtime bonding after all, Grimmjow?"

He looked slightly annoyed at her mild teasing, but then let out a small chuckle. "I ain't gonna deny that I'm warming up to the idea", he replied, while a grin started to spread across his face.

"I suppose that's good to hear", a deadpan third voice said. As the two turned their heads, they saw that it was Halibel, who had discarded the towled she had covered herself with. Then, she too stepped into the bath, closing her eyes and emitting a pleased sigh.

"I do sometimes forget how nice being submerged in water like this can feel", she said in a casual tone. "Probably has something to do with your abilities", Grimmjow replied. Nel smiled, as she looked between the two of them.

"I'm happy to see that the two of you really are more at ease around each other!" 

While the blue haired male simply rolled his eyes, Halibel smiled. Since she was in her release form, her genuine smile was a lot easier to see then it normally was.

Kukkapūro had swum over to the shark hollow and she was now stroking his fur softly.

"L-lady Halibel!"

The three former Espada`s turned around and saw that it Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were standing there. All three of them were wearing towels, insinuating that they too had planned to enter the bath.  
Now however, Apacci was pointing at Grimmjow with a very scandalized look on her face.

"What the hell is he doing here!" No way am I going to share a bath with someone like him!", the black haired hollow exclaimed. Mila Rose also looked displeased by the idea, while Sung-Sun just seemed indifferent to the whole thing.

"If you are gonna act like a bunch of brats, could you just get out of here?" Grimmjow said, sounding very bored. "Hey Halibel! Tell them that they can either act like adults like the rest of us, or they can fuck right off if they aren't gonna!"

While the trio looked like they were about to yell at the former sexta, all of them were shocked to see their mistress raise her hand, in a motion that clearly told them to be silent.

"While I don't agree with his wording, I don't disagree with what Grimmjow is actually saying", Halibel stated calmly. 

"Both I and Nelliel are fine with this, so I see no reason for you three to take issue with it. However, if bathing with a man really does make the three of you uncomfortable, I certainly won't force you to do it."

All three of the younger hollows looked at each other with uncertain looks on their faces. Then, nervously, they all disrobed and stepped into the bath. 

Apacci sent an angry glare towards Grimmjow. "Don't get any funny ideas, you prick!"

Grimmjow just raised an eyebrow, looking very unimpressed. "I just told you to stop acting like a brat, didn't I? You should try to act more like the actual women here, if you want anyone to ogle you." 

While the deer hollow flushed red and continued to glare murderously at the the blue haired male, who was now sporting his usual sadistic grin, Halibel just sighed. 

"Please don't antagonize her, Grimmjow", she said sternly. "Yeah, this is meant to help us bond, not make us argue!", Nel declared while sending the panther hollow a stern glare.

Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head and growled. The two heard him muttering something under his breath, before he looked up again.  
"Fine. I won't bully your kids anymore Halibel. Now can you please tell them to shut up?"

Halibel`s eyes widened at the blue haired male referring to the trio as 'her kids', before regaining her composure. "Very well. Apacci, please stop glaring at Grimmjow and just enjoy the bath. The same goes for you too, Mila, Sung-Sun."

While the queen of Hueco Mundo instructed the trio in proper behaviour, Nel moved closer to Grimmjow. 

"She really does act like a mother to the three of them, huh? It really is quite sweet, isn't it?" Grimmjow smirked at the sight of Halibel scolding the trio, who all looked rather embarrassed.

"I meant that other thing I said too", he said quietly, still looking over at the other group in the bath. When Nel looked at him, clearly confused, Grimmjow turned towards her. The expression on his face was far more serious then usual.

"Why would I look at any of them, when I'm sitting right next to you?"

The green haired woman's eyes widened, before her face gained a sly expression. 

"Then, I suppose you wouldn't mind it if I...enjoyed the view as well?" Her tone was teasing, but the look in her eyes seemed to imply...that she was pleased by his declaration?

Grimmjow let out a hearty laugh. Nel also held up a hand to her mouth, laughing softly. Kukkapūro had swum back to them, and was now sitting in between them, wagging his tail happily.

Halibel stopped her lecture at the sound of the duo`s laughter. She and her three charges looked at the two, sitting there. Both of them looking so...happy in each others company.

While the three young females gagged and turned away in mock disgust, Halibel smiled softly at the sight.

"They really are...quite cute, actually", she thought to herself, looking at the little dog hollow who was being petted by the two, and rubbing against them both affectingly.


	13. Cuddling

Halibel was walking towards the room that Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun shared. 

She has spent the most of the day in Nel’s company, enjoying herself while conversing and training with the other female Espada. She really did appreciate having someone she could relax and be more casual around. As much as she adored her three younger companions, even she could get annoyed by the trio`s endless bickering.

"It is nice to have someone I can truly think of as a friend", the blond thought to herself. "As opposed to feeling like... well, a mother, as Grimmjow and Nel put it." 

Halibel shook her head softly, but the soft shine of her eyes revealed that the statement really had made her happy.

Stopping at the door to the girl's room, she stopped and listened to hear if the three were still awake. Only hearing soft murmurs, she pushed the door open gently.

What she saw, put a smile on Halibel’s face. 

The three girls had pushed their beds together, and were now laying sprawled over each other on a one large bed. All three of them were holding onto one of the others, mumbling softly and with smiles on their faces.

"Now this is something I'd never thought I'd see", the queen of Hueco Mundo thought to herself. Putting her arms in her signature stance of being crossed over her chest, the shark hollow looked at the trio with a soft expression.

"I suppose I must be doing alright after all, if I can find these three, who are always fighting while they are awake, cuddling like this in their sleep." 

Closing her eyes, Halibel let out a soft sigh. "I am quite tired today... And I am sure the three of them wouldn't mind." 

Putting her sword down next to where the girls had put theirs, Halibel slit carefully into the large bed. As soon as she had settled in, Sung-Sun grabbed her arm, and was now nuzzling against it affectionately.

Halibel leaned into the soft fabric of the bed and let herself drift off into sleep, once again feeling truly grateful for the comfort and happiness the three girls, her daughters, brought her.


	14. Cuddling (Part 2)

Nel was sitting in her room, enjoying herself with her latest book. 

Earlier she had been checking up on how much progress Pesche and Dondochakka had made on their project of a new home for Bawabawa, after spending most of the day with Halibel. Seeing the comrades that meant so much to her having so much fun and being so happy, made the green haired woman smile.

"This new Las Noches that we now have... I really must thank Halibel for all that she has done", Nel thought to herself.

Putting away her book, she put a hand to her chin in a contemplative manner. 

"Well, she has credited me with bringing Grimmjow back. As well as helping with integrating him into this new way of living that she has established."

The former third Espada’s thoughts drifted to the various things Grimmjow had been doing since coming back. Accompanying her on her trips to the world of the living, their sparring sessions, his growing friendship with Halibel.

Her smile grew at the memories of his dry humor during his interactions with the three young female hollow girls and the banter he and she usually shared. It finally developed into a soft laugh as she recalled the moments the blue haired man had with his new companion, the little dog like hollow who was now following him around everywhere.

While he was usually gruff and distant to the little arrancar, she had several times spottet moments of him petting the small hollow and talking to it when he thought no one was looking.

She attributed this behaviour to his rather large sense of pride. Still, she couldn't help but feel happy that the panther hollow really did have a more compassionate side. 

"Even if he doesn't showcase it much", she thought to herself. Her smile then became more gentle. "Then again, he really does seem to value my company. But honestly, the same can be said about me." 

Nel then stood up, having decided to check up on the blue haired male. Using her Sonido, the beautiful green haired hollow quickly reached Grimmjow’s room. Utilising her Pesquisa, she sensed that both Grimmjow and Kukkapūro were inside the room.

Going by how little noise came from the room, Nel assumed that both of them were sleeping.

Very gently, she opened the door. Peeking inside, she saw that Grimmjow was sleeping in his bed. Her smile grew however, when she saw that Kukkapūro was there with him.  
The little hollow was laying on top the panther hollow’s chest, nuzzling up against his face.

While it was letting out some happy sounding whines, Grimmjow’s hand was on top of the little dog-hollow, stroking it’s fur gently. Leaning against the wall, Nel’s eyes were warm as she heard the blue haired man grumble in his sleep.

"I told you already, I'll be fine. Stopped worrying so damn much, Nelliel", he murmured.

Gently walking up to the side of the bed, Nel gently tread her hand through his wild, sky blue hair. "I will always worry about those precious to me, Grimmjow", she said in a soft tone.

His expression softened at her words, and she spotted a small smile forming on his lips. "A panther...will always value his mate", he muttered softly.

Nel’s eyes widened at that, before they gained a warm shine. She sat down into the bed, careful not to wake either of the two sleeping in it. As she continued to softly stroke Grimmjow’s hair, Nel was now looking at the male hollow with a far more affectionate gaze than before.


	15. Cuddling (Part 3)

Apacci had just woken up, sitting up and rubbing her eyes while yawning. She let her gaze drift over the large bed, spotting both Mila and Sung-Sun, who were still sleeping.

However, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw the other person that was also lying in the bed with them.

"L-LADY HALIBEL?!"

Her shouting caused both Mila and Sung-Sun to shoot up, both of them looking around in dazed confusion. Then, when they too saw the older woman lying there in their bed, their expressions become identical to Apacci’s.

Halibel had not reacted to any of this, her eyes closed and her expression serene.

"Please do not shout so loudly", she murmured softly. "You will wake all of Hueco Mundo with such noise. So, unless we are being invaded, please lay back down and enjoy this nice, peaceful rest that we all just experienced."

The three girls looked at each other with bewildered expressions, before shrugging and laying back down. 

Halibel had a small smile on her face, that grew just a bit when the three girls all cuddled up close to her, holding her tightly.

"This...is rather nice", she thought to herself as she drifted back to sleep.

OoOoO

Grimmjow sat up in his bed, while rubbing the back of his head. 

"Why do those three always have to be so damn loud...", he muttered to himself. He then let out a yawn that showcased his sharp teeth, before realizing that there was someone else in the bed with him.

Nel was laying in the bed right next to him, while hugging Kukkapūro close to her chest. She had a soft smile on her face, as she mumbled in her sleep:

"Hey Grimmjow, do you think my spit could heal those scars you have? I wouldn't mind trying it you know, zzzz..."

Grimmjow looked down at the green haired female with a exasperated expression. "We have got to find a better method of healing...", he thought to himself while shaking his head.

He looked back down at Nel, who was now giggling softly. 

"Grimmjow, touching me there is gonna make me wanna do something very different from spitting, you know~"

Grimmjow’s eyes widened at that, before a grin spread across his face. "Oh, is that so, Nelliel? Well then..."

He reached his hands towards the sleeping woman, his grin growing even wider. And then...

A loud shriek could be heard all over Las Noches.

"Grimmjow! S-stop! Don't tickle me there, haha!" Nel cried out, tears of laughter forming in her eyes. Kukkapūro was now on the floor, waggin his tail and letting out some excited barks.

"No way!", Grimmjow yelled out in between his laughing, his blue eyes shining with mischief. "This invasion can't go unpunished, hehe!"

OoOoO

Over in the other bed, Halibel opened her eyes and listen to what was going on in Grimmjow’s room. 

"I did not expect that kind of noise to be the first one I would hear when those two finally shared a bed", she thought to herself, letting out a soft laugh at the pair’s antics.


	16. Departing for a meeting of utmost importance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halibel prepares to leave for a very important meeting. The rest of the inhabitants of Las Noches see her off. 
> 
> Of course, some of them are better at it then others.

Halibel was currently in her room. She was sitting on her bed, her eyes were closed, as she tried to focus and calm herself. She concentrated on steadying her breath and clearing her mind.

"I will be successful. I have to be", she reaffirmed to herself.

Opening her eyes as she stood up, the queen of Hueco Mundo exited her quarters.

As she approached the throne room, she was surprised at what she sensed. "So, they have all come to see me off", she thought to herself. Her smile was hidden by her collar as she entered the large hall.

The first thing she saw were Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, standing together. The three female hollows were staring right at her as she walked in. 

The trio were standing with their arms folded over their chests. While she was somewhat confused at first, Halibel quickly realized that the three girls were is actually trying to emulate her signature posture. 

She then noticed that all three of them were also glaring at her. It was same kind of glare that the trio had dubbed the 'Lecturing glare', which she had overheard them call it when they thought she wasn't listening in on them.  
In short, it was the look she gave the three girls whenever she scolded them or talked to them in a stern manner.

The blonde hollow had to averted her gaze from the trio to keep herself from laughing. While she was amused by the three girls`s (admittedly adorable) failed attempt at appearing intimidating, she had a good idea of why they were doing it.

Looking over the rest of the hall, she saw that there were two other groups in the room. She spotted Nelliel, standing a couple meters away. The other female Espada smiled and waved at her. Her two companions, Pesche and Dondochakka were standing next to her.  
The two of them appeared to be in the middle of some kind of bizarre posing, which Halibel merely raised an eyebrow at.

Finally, she saw that Grimmjow was standing a few feet away from Nel’s group. He was leaning against a pillar, his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed. Kukkapūro was running in circles around his legs, trying to get the blue haired man’s attention.

When he noticed she was staring at him, he opened his eyes. His blue eyes meet her green, before he grinned at her. She nodded to him as a greeting, before turning her gaze beck towards Nel. The shark queen returned her friend`s wave, which made the green haired woman smile even wider.

Finally, she turned her attention back to Apacci, Mila and Sung-Sun, who were still glaring at her.

"Thank you everyone, for coming to see me off", Halibel said, addressing everyone in the room. 

"Oh, come on!" Apacci yelled out, tossing her hands up into the air in frustration. "Even after all three of us gave you 'That' glare, you're still going?!"

Halibel smiled as she looked at the three younger females. "I am truly grateful for your concern", she said while looking at the trio.  
Her eyes seemed to shine as she looked at the three girls, the adoration and affection she felt towards them clear to all.

"But, this is something I have to do. And I trust that the three of you will obey the orders I gave you?", Halibel asked in a kind but firm tone.

The trio looked at their feet, their expressions still gloomy.

"Yes, of course", Sung-Sun said quietly. 

"It's just that...", Mila Rose mumbled.

"We're worried about you!", Apacci yelled out, her face bright red. 

While the trio averted their eyes, clearly embarrassed, Nel walked up to Halibel. "So, you're going now?", the green haired woman asked. 

When the blonde hollow nodded, the other female Espada gave her a bright smile.

"Please give Mr. Urahara our regards, and tell him we are very grateful for the wares he has provided us with", she added.

Halibel nodded. "Yes, I will do so." The two turned their heads, seeing that Grimmjow had also walked up to them and was now standing next to Nel.

"So...You're really doing this?", he asked with a raised eyebrow. Halibel nodded, looking him straight in eye. 

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, before Grimmjow shrugged.

"Alright. Good luck, I guess", he said in a casual tone while rubbing the back of his head. Halibel was caught off guard, but gave the blue haired male a small smile. "Thank you. I appreciate your support, Grimmjow".

"Yeah, yeah, whatever", the panther hollow mumbled. Nel was looking at him with a warm expression.

"Woof!" Looking down, Halibel saw that Kukkapūro was standing by her feet, gazing up at her. The little hollow`s tail was wagging back and forth, as it looked up at her with a pleading look on it's face.

Smiling softly, the shark hollow crouched down, and gently patted the small dog`s head. Kukkapūro let out a pleased whine, as he rubbed his head against her hand affectively.

Standing up again, the queen of Hueco Mundo turned around and opened up a Garganta. "Now then, I'll be departing", she said as she turned back towards the others.  
"Please look after Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun for me?", she asked Nel. 

The green haired woman nodded and they both smiled wryly at the three younger women agitated declarations that they did not need to be 'looked after!'.

She nodded towards Grimmjow once again, her eyes silently asking: "Look after Nel for me?"  
His expression was hard to read, but he nodded back, before giving her a smirk.

"If that shop keeper pisses you off, go ahead and kick his ass, alright?", he asked with a wicked grin. Halibel chuckled softly at that. "I will keep that in mind, Grimmjow", she replied with a subtle smile of her own.

She gave Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun one last reassuring smile, before stepping into the Garganta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the first part of a segment of the story, that focuses on how Hueco Mundo will start to really change. 
> 
> With that said, the meeting that Halibel is going to will be the focus of the next chapter.


	17. The meeting begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halibel, having arrived in the world of the living, has a very important meeting with both familiar and new individuals.

Having stepped out of the Garganta, the first thing Halibel noted was that the shop Nel and Grimmjow frequented so often, looked very humble.

A part of her already knew this, since Nel had told her about all of her visits to the world of the living. But, it was still rather surprising to see that the one man Aizen had considered a threat, based on his incredible intelligence, resided in such an ordinary looking abode.

The blonde hollow shook her head slightly, reminding herself why she was here. Walking slowly towards the shop, she made sure to announce her presence by broadcasting her Reiatsu.

However, she made sure to keep it focused and on an even flow, so as to not come off as threatening.

As she was right by the staircase leading up to the house, the door opened and Kisuke Urahara stepped out.

"Ah, welcome!", he said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the queen of Hueco Mundo. Nel has told me all about you", he added while giving her a bow. "Although", he continued as he stood back up, "I should inform you that the others have not arrived yet."

Halibel blinked, somewhat taken aback at how casual the former captain was being. However, she quickly regained her composure.

"I see. Is that a reason for concern?", she asked in a even tone. 

The blonde haired man shook his head, before giving her a small smile. 

"I don't believe it is. Knowing the man we're talking about, he's probably just going to be late because he didn't prepare himself properly in time."

Halibel raised an eyebrow at that. "I...see", she eventually said. 

"Would you like to come in for some tea, while we wait?" Urahara asked while leaning on his cane. The blonde hollow shook her head. 

"No, I'll wait", she replied. "I am grateful for the offer, but I have enough patience to wait for someone being late to a meeting." Her thoughts went to some of the more rebellious members of the Espada, given how they had often purposely arrived late to Aizen’s meetings.

"I see", Urahara replied. "Then, do you mind if I step inside for a moment, to make sure everything is in order?"

Although she felt a slight sense of unease, Halibel reminded herself that Nel trusted this man. "I don't mind", she replied as casually as she could.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to be quick", the shopkeeper said while tipping his hat towards her. Then, he retreated back into the shop.

Halibel let out a soft sigh. "I need calm down. If this is going to go well, I need to seem sincere and capable" she told herself mentally.

Just then, a new Garganta opened up a few feet away from the former Espada. Several people stepped out of it.

The first was a man wearing a Sugegasa straw hat and a pink, flowered lady's kimono, which was draped over his shoulders. The attire under that was that of a captain of the Gotei 13. An eyebatch was covering his right eye, while his long dark hair was tied together in a ponytail. Having stepped out of the Garganta fully, he was now scratching the facial hair on his right cheek.

"It looks like we'll need to thank Captain Kurotsuchi, for letting us using that device of his to create a Garganta for us to travel through~", Shunsui Kyōraku said in a laid back tone.

"~Right, Nanao?~" 

The woman that walked up next to him had a professional looking appearance, with her hair pinned back. Flat bangs hung to the right side of her face, and she was wearing a pair of glasses that had a oval shape to them.

"Please try to not sound condescending when you do so", Nanao Ise replied, sounding rather exasperated. "You know how that man can hold a grudge for a very long time, for something he considers a slight."

"Yes, yes, I know", Shunsui replied while waving his hand. Finally, he turned his head, meeting Halibel’s gaze.

"Oh!", he exclaimed. "My apologies. We didn't mean to be rude", he said while bowing his head towards Halibel in a greeting. 

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Halibel. Please excuse us being late...there were some unexpected matters that came up that we simply had to deal with right away."

Given what she had just heard from Urahara, and the look that his lieutenant shoot him, Halibel had a feeling these so called 'matters', weren't as urgent as the straw hat wearing man claimed. Regardless, she quickly repressed any annoyance she felt at the soul reaper's lateness.

"It's fine, Head Captain Kyōraku", she said while returning his greeting. She then bowed her head to the woman next to him. "Lieutenant Ise." 

The bespectacled woman returned her greeting as well. "I hope you are well, Lady Halibel."

"Yes, I am, thank you", the queen of the hollows replied in a polite tone. Her gaze was then drawn back to the Garganta, since there was now more people stepping out of it.

The first of them were two men, wearing uniforms that were quite different from a normal soul reaper's. If she had to guess, Halibel assumed they were guards of some sort.  
When the two men stood straight and shouted "It is now safe to exit the Garganta!", another pair of individuals stepped out of the black void.

One of them was a small girl, wearing clothing that gave off the feeling of nobility. While she appeared to be quite young, the look in her eyes seemed to indicate wisdom beyond her years.  
The man next to her Halibel recognized as one of the lieutenants that had fought one of Baraggan's Fracción.

He still had the appearance that made it easy to identify him, as his blonde hair was combed into three points, with two in the back of his head, and a third combed to cover his left eye. 

"Greetings. I am Nayura Amakado, the head librarian of the Daireishokairō, and a sage of Central 46", the girl said before bowing her head towards Halibel. "It is an honour to meet you, Tia Halibel, queen of Hueco Mundo."

Raising her head, she then gestured towards the man next to her. "This is Izuru Kira, the lieutenant of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13." The man also bowed his head in greeting.

Halibel was not exactly sure why a sage of Central 46, two guards and another lieutenant, had accompanied the Head Captain and his lieutenant to the meeting she had arranged with them.  
Still, they had greeted her with politeness, and she would thus voice her questions in the same, respectful manner.

"Forgive me, but I was not aware that a sage of Central 46 would also be attending this meeting?"

She had directed the question at Shunsui, who was rubbing his chin while looking slightly embarrassed.

"Well...you see..." the Head Captain began, but was interrupted by Nayura.

"Forgive me, but when I heard about this meeting, I insisted on accompanying them", she said while meeting Halibel's gaze. "After I realized the importance of this meeting, I knew that I had to present for it. That way, I'll be sure that it is properly documented and thus remembered by the people of the Soul Society."

Halibel was briefly stunned by the young girl's foresight and willingness to act upon it. Then, hiding a small smile, she bowed her head towards the sage.

"I see. I am very grateful that you wish to document this meeting, Lady Amakado. My hope is that it will benefit both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. So, having someone write down what we will discuss, is an excellent idea."

The small female sage's face lit up in a proud smile at Halibel's words. "Thank you, Lady Halibel. I am very grateful that you approve", she said with a bow of the head. The eagerness and hope that was now clear in her voice, made her sound much more like the young girl she really was.

"Ah, I see you're all here now!"

Everyone turned around to see that Kisuke Urahara was now standing on the outside of the door to the shop again. He stepped to the side, gesturing for everyone to come inside.

"The tea is ready! Please, come inside and have a seat~."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The young sage in this chapter is a character from the Bleach short story: "Beginning of the Revive of Tomorrow", from the Bleach 13 BLADEs databook.
> 
> I recommend reading it if you haven't, since it explains how Kira returned during The Thousand Year Blood War arc, as well as what happened to the Sternritter Shaz Domino.
> 
> Next time, Halibel engages in what every ruler must face at some point...political talks!


	18. The importance of documentation

As Halibel entered the shop, she was once again surprised by how...ordinary it seemed. She looked at Kisuke Urahara, who was currently talking to the lieutenant of squad 3, seemingly inquiring how his captain was these days.

Noticing her stare, the former captain gave her a friendly smile.

"Please, take a seat", he said while gesturing to a table on the floor. Halibel saw that a number of pillows had been placed around it. While she was a bit taken aback by how casual it seemed, she decided that it would perhaps make the soul reapers more inclined to be casual, instead of overly formal.

That was part of the reason why she had suggested Urahara’s shop as the location for their meeting, after all.

She and the Captain Commander sat down on opposite sides of the table, facing each other. The soul reaper gave her another friendly smile, but Halibel still saw that there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Halibel didn't blame him. She had once been his enemy after all. And, she was also observing him with some reservations of her own. 

She hadn't forgotten how ruthlessly he had cut down Starrk during their battle, despite the wolf Arrancar’s clear reluctance to even fight at all. Because of his kind nature, Starrk had been the one member of the Espada she had counted as a friend.  
At least, until after Nel and Grimmjow had saved her and were now helping her rule Hueco Mundo.

Still, she did find herself missing the lazy, yet kind hearted Primera and his small, feisty Fracción from time to time.

But, if she wanted to see her plans for Hueco Mundo realized, she would have to put the past behind her and work with the Soul Reapers. 

“A ruler must know when to put aside their personal feelings, and think of what is best for their people", she thought to herself, having closed her eyes.  
With subtle shake of the head, she reopened them, meeting the Captain Commander’s gaze once again.

He seemed to notice the newfound resolve in her eyes, as his smile turned more genuine, and some of wariness in his eyes dissipated.

“Here! Please, help yourself", Urahara’s voice called out, as he placed a tray filled with cups of tea in the table.

Halibel nodded to him, signaling her thanks. Then, she was surprised by Nayura taking a seat on the spot that put her on the left side of Halibel and right side of Shunsui.

The Hollow had not expected that a Sage would sit beside a Soul Reaper, and especially a Hollow as an equal. At least, given what she had heard of the Soul Society’s nobility from Aizen, Gin and Tōsen.

Then again, she supposed none of those three would have much good to say about ANYTHING, regarding the Soul Society.

Giving the younger girl a polite nod, Halibel reached out, taking a cup of tea from the tray. Both Shunsui and Nayura did the same after her. The three of them quietly drank, before gently putting the cups down.

"Wonderful as always, Kisuke", the Captain Commander said with a satisfied smile, as he gave a the shopkeeper a nod of acknowledgement.

“I am happy it was to your liking”, the blonde replied in a proud tone. 

“Yes, it was quite nice”, Nayura added politly.

Halibel simply nodded. "I see Nel’s praise was well deserved", she stated.

"You are all too kind", Urahara replied, bowing his head to the three.

"Now then."

The seriousness in Halibel’s voice, made both Shunsui and Nayura turn their attention towards her.

“I wish to be honest and upfront with you", she continued. “I believe that is the only way that I may gain your trust. And I need there to be trust between us, if the plans I have are going to succeed."

The Captain Commander looked somewhat taken aback by her bluntness. Nayura, on the other hand, made a gesture with her hand towards the blonde lieutenant, who was standing right behind her.  
He reached inside his uniform, pulling out what looked like a notebook and a pen.

When the young Sage saw Halibel’s raised eyebrow, she answered the former Espada’s unspoken question.

"I wish for this meeting to be recorded and preserved. As Head Librarian, I know the importance of teksts and documentations. Both history and people are shaped and influenced by what is written of them.  
That is why, I want to document this meeting, as well as any other meetings we may have in the future. That way, we will know what happened during these meetings, what discussions took place, and how significant each of them truly was."

Halibel was momentarily stunned by the young Sage’s forward thinking, as well as the clear passion in her voice. When she glanced over at Shunsui, she saw that he also seemed quite impressed by the young librarians ideology, and her willingness to act upon it.

Now sporting a smile, even if it was hidden by her collar, she meet Nayura’s gaze. 

"Thank you. I am truly grateful for your foresight and impressed by your wisdom, lady Amakado. The Soul Society is lucky to have someone who values the importance of both past and future, as you clearly do."

The young sage looked stunned. Not only by Halibel’s words, but by the genuine warmth in her voice as she complimented her.  
A faint blush spread across her face, before she quickly tried to compose herself.

"I am honoured that you approve of my suggestion, queen Halibel", Nayura eventually replied. She gave the older woman a gentle smile, while her eyes glowed with pride and happiness.

"Yes, I agree", Shunsui added. He then caught Halibel’s gaze, signaling to her that what he was he was going to say next would be a question directed at her.

"And what are these plans that you speak of, queen Halibel?" 

The tone of his voice was completely neutral, neither friendly or hostile as he asked the question.

"The first thing I wish for, is to formally establish a true alliance between Las Noches and the Soul Society", Halibel stated. Continuing on, she added:

“I also wish to establish a collaboration with Kisuke Urahara. I have hope that such a collaboration, could improve the living conditions for those us that reside in Hueco Mundo."

“I see”, Shunsui replied. “Well then, do you mind me asking, how do you believe this collaboration with Kisuke will help the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo?"

As Halibel unveiled her plans, the Soul Reapers expressions changed from apprehensive, to intrigued, to cautiously optimistic.

Nayura however, was watching Halibel with a hopeful look on her face, as she often made sure that Kira notated all of the important information that was being shared by them all...


	19. Scars

Sparks flew as swords clashed. This had been going on for some time, with both participants not giving an inch.

Then, both of the combatants paused, before one of the two let her sword slide back into its sheath, while letting out a tired sigh.

The blue haired man she had just been sparring with looked at her with a searching expression, as he too sheathed his sword.

"You look...tired", Grimmjow said with a raised eyebrow. "Did that simple sparring match really take that much out of you?"

Nel shot him a glance, trying to determine if he was about to go on some rant about being disappointed. However, the panther hollow had merely put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side while looking at her.  
His eyes had narrowed, as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Your hollow mask", he suddenly said. "Reiatsu is still leaking from it."

The green haired woman was surprised by that, a hand flying to the mask on top of her head. "Yes...I suppose you're right", she eventually replied, with a small, sad smile.

"The bracelet that Urahara gave me does stabilize my Reiatsu...but..."

"It did not actually heal the wound that causes your Reiatsu to leak out in the first place", Grimmjow finished.

His eyes widened as he suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute... Does that mean, that you have gone this entire time, doing all the stuff you've done...while still having that injury affecting you the entire time?!"

Nel tunred away from her male companions rather intense gaze. "I...yes. I suppose you can say it like that." 

She then turned back around, her expression now calm and composed. 

"Do not misunderstand, Grimmjow. I am fully cable of fighting, or doing anything else I need to, even with this injury."

Grimmjow still looked confused. "But why?", he asked. "I mean, couldn't you have asked that shopkeeper, or hell, that human girl to heal that wound for you?"

"I didn't ask them to heal it for me, because I want it to be a reminder", Nel stated in a firm tone. "It was my fault that my brothers were attacked, and that I gained this wound. That is why, I have kept it unhealed. To remind me of my past failure."

The female hollow grey eyes held Grimmjow’s blue ones. 

"I'm sure you understand", she stated calmly. "After all, isn't that why you also decided to keep your scars?"

At that, Grimmjow’s expression darkened. 

"It's true that I kept these", he replied while gesturing to the scars that Ichigo and Nnoitra had dealt him, "to serve as a reminder."

"But...", he added while looking downwards, keeping his face hidden.

THAT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WHAT YOU'RE DOING!", he roared, his head snapping back upwords. His blue eyes shined with rage, as he stared at Nel.

She took a step back, practically instinctively. While Grimmjow still had a fiery temper, he had usually kept his composure when around her. 

She steeled herself, standing up straight, before returning Grimmjow’s glare with one of her own. 

"Explain yourself, Grimmjow", she stated in a cold tone. The panther hollow’s glare did not ease up. In fact, it actually deepened.

"My wounds serve as a reminder. They help me sharpen my skills and gives me the drive to get stronger", Grimmjow stated. "But what you are doing..."

His eyes narrowed.

"It's fucking stupid!"

"And what exactly do you mean by that?", Nel asked, her eyes narrowing as well.

"Because, you are intentionally letting yourself be weaker than you really are!", Grimmjow snarled in reply. "Do you really think you are going to be able to protect those idiot brothers of yours, if someone truly powerful comes along, and you are not able to fight at your full strength?"

Nel’s eyes widened in surprise at that statement. As powerful as she was now, and considering that they and the Soul Society were now allies, she had not thought about what Grimmjow had just said.  
But just as she was about to make a rebuttal...until she remembered that none of the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo, had predicted the quincy invasion.

As she was silent, Grimmjow continued. 

"And what about backing up Halibel? Do you really want to be at her side and help her with her reforms, while constantly in pain? Do you think SHE wants that?   
That her closest confidant, the one she trusts the most, is suffering...because of some stupid, self-deprecating bullshit?!"

Hearing that last question caused Nel to cast her gaze down. 

"I...", she began. "No...no, you are right, Grimmjow. Of course she wouldn't want that", the green haired woman muttered. She shook her head, before stating in a subdued voice:

"It really is just a matter of pride, isn't it? And you are right...it is stupid."

Grimmjow stared at her for a while, before letting out a "tch", and turning around. He then took off, flying away with Sonido.

Nel looked after him, until she heard a small whimper next to her. Looking down, she saw that it was Kukkapūro. The small arrancar dog looked up at her, while letting out a sad whine.

"Don't worry, little one", Nel said as she crouched down and started stroking the puppy's head in a comforting manner.

"I am actually happy that Grimmjow said those things to me. It was the truth, and I needed to hear it."   
A small, wry smile started to form on her face as she scratched Kukkapūro behind the ears.

"Though I do admit, I do wish he could have said it a little nicer. But, I suppose him being so angry...", she paused for a little bit, which caused Kukkapūro to tilt his head at her, while letting out a questioning whine.

"Is proof that he does care", she finished with a warm smile. Kukkapūro let out a happy-sounding bark, before he nuzzled up against her.

OoOoO

Grimmjow hovered over Las Noches, before he eventually landed on the balcony of the main fortress of the hollows. As he touched down, he heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, he saw that it was Halibel.

"You're back already?", the hollow queen asked him with a surprised look in her eyes.   
"And without Nelliel?"

"Yeah", the blue haired male replied, before reaching his hand out and making a familiar motion. A black portal then opened.

"Nelliel should arrive sooner or later", He stated with his back turned to the blonde female. "She'll probably bring the dog with her too."

Halibel had just realized that the little arrancar that was almost always following Grimmjow these days, was not there either. But, judging from his tone, it sounded like there was no need to worry about the two.

Still, the shark hollow wondered what had caused the panther hollow to leave the two other residents of Las Noches like this. After all, they were the two he seemed to enjoy spending time with the most(though he never said so out loud).

Still, she decided not to pry. She would simply ask Nel what had happened, when the other former female Espada returned as well.

Instead, she asked a different question:

"Where are you going?"

Grimmjow still had his back turned, but after a few moments of silence, he replied:  
"The world of the living. I'm gonna pay that annoying ass shopkeeper a visit."

He finally turned around, his blue eyes meeting Halibel’s green ones. 

"See you later, Tia", he said, with a surprisingly friendly look in his normally intense eyes. 

Although she was surprised by this, Halibel nodded back, her eyes giving away that she had a small smile on as well. 

"I hope you find whatever it is, that you are going there for", the hollow queen stated in a warm tone. 

Grimmjow simply nodded in response, before he turned around and stepped into the Garganta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A more serious chapter this time. Still, I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Next chapter will be a follow up to this one, so I hope you look forward to it.
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoyed!


	20. Curación

Nel landed on the balcony of the main fortress of Las Noches. She had Kukkapūro cradled in her arms, and the small Hollow seemed to be half asleep, only letting out some pleased-sounding as it cuddled against the former Espada’s body.

The green haired woman used her Pesquisa, but the only notable presences she was only able to sense were her brothers, the Tres Bestias and Halibel. 

Now sporting a small frown, Nel began walking towards the throne room.

Upon arriving, She saw that Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were sparring, with Halibel watching them attentively. 

When Kukkapūro spotted the blonde haired woman, he let out a excited bark. With a smile, Nel put him down gently, and watched as he rushed over to Halibel. The little Arrancar stopped by the shark Hollow’s feet and sat down, looking up at her with a pleading expression.

The queen of Hueco Mundo let out a soft chuckle, before she crouched down and gently petted the tiny dog. In response, Kukkapūro’s tail wagged back and forth while he happily rubbed his head against the blonde woman’s hand.

"Hello to you too, little one", Halibel warmly stated, before she stood up and looked over at Nel. "Welcome back, Nelliel."

"Thank you, Tia", the green haired woman replied with a happy smile. However, her expression then turned into a frown once again.

"I'm sorry, but I need to ask you something...", she began. 

"You want to ask me if I know where Grimmjow is. Right?", Halibel finished. As the other woman’s looked at her, clearly surprised, Halibel simply continued.

"You needn't worry. He was here not to long ago, before he departed for the world of the living."

At that, Nel’s eyebrows were raised, more confused than ever. "The world of the living? Why would he go there?"

"Apparently, he was going to visit Kisuke Urahara", Halibel replied. She then gave Nel a gentle smile. 

"I don't think you need to worry, Nelliel. But, I would advise you to not follow him. I have the feeling that what he went there for, is something he wants to do alone."

The former third Espada looked somewhat conflicted, but eventually let out a resigned sigh. 

"Yes...you are probably right. Given how our sparring session ended, I imagine he wants some space for now." 

Noticing the melancholy in Nel’s voice, Kukkapūro walked over to her, rubbing himself against her leg, and letting out a encouraging bark.  
Nel smiled with fondness at the little Arrancar’s, clearly touched by his attempt at cheering her up.

"Thank you, Tia", she told her friend with a grateful smile and nod, before she scooped up Kukkapūro into her arms once again. 

"I guess this means that I'll be looking after you until he comes home? Oh yes I will, yes I will~", Nel gushed as she rubbed the tiny dog’s belly affectionately.

While the three younger women rolled their eyes, Halibel chuckled in amusement at her friend’s ability to show such obvious affection for others.

OoOoO

As he stepped out of the Garganta, Grimmjow was scowling. 

Walking out, even the fact that he had gotten better at using the traveling-technique, as evidenced by the fact that he was right in front of Urahara’s shop, was not enough to improve his mood.

As he broadcasted his Reiatsu, letting the former captain know he had come, he repressed his urge to growl.

"Ah! Hello there, Mr. Grimmjow!"

The door to the shop slid open, and Kisuke Urahara stepped out, wearing a wide smile. However, it quickly turned into a puzzled expression, as he noticed that the blue haired Hollow was alone.

"Well, this is unusual", the shopkeeper declared, as he put a hand to his chin. "In fact, I think it is unprecedented. You have never visited my humble shop, without Miss Nel accompanying you."

His facial expression grew slightly more serious. "So then, for what reason have you come here to visit me...by your lonesome?" 

It was clear that the former soul reaper had realized this was not a normal visit.

At that, Grimmjow’s face contorted into a snarl.

"You...", he growled. "You made that bracelet that allowed Nelliel to return to her true form, back during the quincy war." 

Urahara looked surprised for a second, before he replied in wary tone: "Yes, I did do that. I was not under the impression that was something you disapproved of...?"

"Oh, my 'issue', is not with that", Grimmjow replied while lowering his head and ruffling his hair, while letting out an ominous chuckle. Then, his eyes snapped back up, meeting Kisuke’s.

"It's the fact that you made that thing for her, even though you definitely knew that her Hollow mask would still be damaged while she would wear it. THAT, is what pisses me off!", the panther Hollow snarled.

Kisuke’s eyes widened at that.  
"I...well, I did sense that the damage dealt to her mask was what was causing her Reiatsu to leak out. But, when I offered to find a way to heal it for her, she refused..."  
The shopkeeper voice trailed off, as he noticed that Grimmjow’s glare had only become more intense during his explanation.

"So, you did know. And yet, you still let her go to war with those Sternritter basterds, knowing how strong they were."

The blue haired man’s voice had become unnervingly quiet, compared to how loud and aggressive it usually was.

"The reason you didn't insist on healing her...It's because you didn't truly trust us, right?", Grimmjow looked straight at Urahara, his blue eyes cold and accusing.

The blonde haired man looked shocked, before he cast his face downwards, making it hidden by his hat.

"I...yes. You are correct. I did not fully trust either of you during that time. And that is why I didn't push Miss Nel to have her injury treated", Urahara said quietly, his voice full of shame.

"I know now that I was wrong to do so...and I am truly sorry", he continued, looking up and meeting Grimmjow’s gaze. His eyes were filled with what seemed like genuine regret and his voice wavered slightly. Yet, he held his head high and looked right at the Hollow.

Grimmjow still looked pissed, but noticeably less so then before. He sighed, before muttering: 

"Well, at least you didn't try to deny it and give me some bullshit excuse. I can at least respect you for owning up to it."

Urahara looked surprised, before a sad smile spread across his face. "I have made a lot of mistakes...and I have tried to make amends for them as best as I could."  
It was clear that he was referring to the hollowfication of his friends, and his failure in regards to stopping Aizen back in the Soul Society, all those years ago.

Grimmjow just looked at him, an unreadable look on his face. 

"Well then...That's good to hear", the panther Hollow stated. "Because, that means that you are going to do your best to make amends for this mistake too...right?" His voice, while mostly casual, still had a threatening undertone to it.

Urahara looked at him for a few seconds, before he nodded. "Of course. I'll do whatever I can do help Miss Nel."

Grimmjow’s expression shifted at hearing that. Now, the blue haired Hollow looked almost uncomfortable.

"Good...because I have something in mind...", he muttered, while staring downwards on the ground. Urahara raised an eyebrow, now intrigued at seeing the normally confidant Arrancar acting so...strangely hesitant.

"You Soul Reapers...you have that thing called Kido, right?", Grimmjow asked, now looking up at the shop owner with a determined look on his face...

OoOoO  
Several days later:

Grimmjow slowly opened the door to Nel’s room. He had returned to Hueco Mundo while it was night time in the world of the living.  
So, he was not surprised to find the green haired Hollow lying sleeping in her bed.

He did notice with some amusement, that Kukkapūro was there too, lying at the end of the bed. 

Although he had been very quiet, the little Arrancar lifted its head, looking around with a sleepy expression. Then, when it noticed the blue haired man standing there, it jumped down, rushing over to him, all while letting out some very happy sounding barks.

Grimmjow couldn't help but grin, as he crouched down and began petting the tiny Hollow.

"W-what is it, Kukkapūro?" a drowsy voice called out. Nel had woken up, and was now sitting up, rubbing her eyes. However, her eyes widened when she saw who it was, that the dog Hollow had greeted with such happiness.

"Grimmjow! You're back!", she exclaimed with a smile. "Yeah", the male Hollow simply replied, giving Kukkapūro on last pat, before he stood up.

He then walked over to the bed, looking straight a Nel. His blue eyes met her grey ones.

"I had something I needed to do", he stated. Then, he sat down on the bed. Nel’s eyes widened, having not expected that. 

They widened even more, when Grimmjow continued:

"I have learned something. I trained with that annoying ass shopkeeper, to develop a new technique." He looked straight at her, his face unreadable.

"I want to show it to you. Will you let me?"

While Nel was a little taken aback by all that had just happened in such a short amount of time, she eventually nodded. 

"Yes. Please do, Grimmjow", she replied in a quiet tone. There was something in his voice and the look in his eyes, that told her that this was something important.

He gave her a nod. Then, he reached out his hand, holding it over her Hollow mask. A pale green light began to emanate from his palm,

Nel could suddenly feel the pain that the crack in her mask constantly caused her, began to fade. She stared at Grimmjow with shock, seeing that he had a look of extreme concentration. 

He slowly moved his hand, covering all the parts of the cracked mask, while occasionally letting out a quiet growl.

Then, he finally removed his hand.

"Now", his eyes locked with her’s again, "do you still feel any pain?"

Nel reached up, touching her mask. Her hand traced along the long wound that Nnoitra had dealt her. She then looked at Grimmjow with a shocked expression.

"It's...completely healed...", she whispered.

Hearing that, Grimmjow’s expression turned into a satisfied smirk.

"What was that?", Nel asked him, still stunned by what had just happened.

"I realized that the Soul Reapers have that thing called Kido", the panther Hollow replied. "And, I also knew that among the many techniques within that, there are some that are used for healing. So, I went to that shopkeeper, and made him teach me how do do it."

He then looked at his hand, frowning slightly. "Although, I couldn't really replicate any of the specific techniques that he showed me. Instead, it just ended uo being what you just saw", he stated.

"His theory was that, much like Hollows have techniques like Cero and Bala, that Soul Reapers don't have, this healing technique is also something that is unique to us."

Nel, who had listened intently to Grimmjow’s explanation, smiled. 

"If that's the case, I think I have an idea of what we can call that technice", she stated with a small grin.

"Oh yeah? What do you want to call it then?", the blue haired man asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Curación", she replied with a sly smile.

Grimmjow seemed to think about it for a few seconds, before he shrugged. "Sounds good to me!", he stated with a grin.

Nel let out soft chuckle at that, before she looked at Grimmjow with a fond expression. Then, to his surprise, she reached out her hand, and then rested it on his Hollow mask.

As she gently caressed the skull-like fragment of a jaw on the right side of his face, her eyes once again met his.

"Thank you, Grimmjow", she stated warmly. Her smile was fond and her eyes were shining in a way that Grimmjow had never quite seen before. 

The way she was looking at him, and gently touching his Hollow mask, which in some way was one of the key things that defined Hollows like them...

It was filled with genuine fondness...no, Affection. Towards HIM.

"Nelliel...", he simply said in an uncharacteristically soft tone, reaching his hand towards her face, gently removing some of her long, green hair that was obscuring it.

As Grimmjow’s blue eyes and Nel’s grey locked once again, their faces slowly inching closer together...

Just then, the door flew up, revealing Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun.  
"What the hell, you bastard! How can you just come waltzing back to Las Noches, without telling Lady Halibel that you...were...back..."

Apacci’s rant came to a screeching halt, as she realized just what it looked like Grimmjow and Nel were about to do, fully sunk in.

"You two were about to..and we just...Ohhh...", the Tres Bestias each muttered as they stared at the two former Espada members.

Grimmjow, whose expression had now darkened at an alarming rate, stepped of the bed, his hands slowly forming into black claws. 

"I'll give you three seconds", he stated with a growl, as he glared at the trio with barely suppressed fury. 

"Now...RUN."

The three girls did so immediately. Just as Grimmjow was preparing to give chase, Nel’s voice called out to him once again:

"Grimmjow."

He turned around, seeing her look at him with a fond smile, her eyes glinting with humor...and fondness.

"Once again, thank you...and don`t be to hard on those three", she said with a small grin.

Grimmjow grinned back at her, giving her a nod, before he vanished using sonido.

Kukkapūro then jumped up into the bed, and Nel began stroking his fur, still looking at the spot where Grimmjow had just stood with a fond smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter. It was certainly fun to write. Really enjoyed getting to write a really cute, fluffy scene between Grimm and Nel.
> 
> And of course, the Tres Bestias showing up and then realising what they just interrupted, hehe!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed! :)


	21. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Nel bring Halibel and the Tres Bestias along on their visit to the World of the Living.

A Garganta opened right in front of Urahara’s shop. However, while it was usually only two or one who stepped out, this time six figures emerged.

"Man, is this really it? Talk about a shabby looking shop!", Apacci declared as she inspected the shop.

"I must admit I agree. It certainly lacks any semblance of class", Sung-Sun added in her usual coy tone.

"You two really complain about everything, don't you?" Mila-Rose said with a sigh. The trio continued their bickering, which the three former Espada members ignored.

"Nel, please tell me why you insisted I join you two this time?", Halibel asked, genuinely confused.  
After all, she had never visited the world on the living, with the exceptions of Aizen's invasion and her diplomatic meetings with the Soul Society that Urahara hosted.

Nel turned to her, a big smile on her face. "Because, Orihime insisted that I should bring you this time!" 

The green-haired woman grabbed her friend's arm, dragging her towards the shop.

"She promised that it would be fun! And you really need a break, after all those meetings, in addition to running Las Noches!"

Grimmjow followed behind the two women, with a annoyed expression.

"Halibel coming along is one thing..."

His scowl deepened as the three behind him kept on arguing.

"But, since she is here, those three insisted on coming along too!"

Finally fed up, the blue haired Hollow turned around, glaring at the Tres Bestias.

"If you three don't shup it, I am going to re-open the Garganta, and hurl you back to Hueco Mundo right now! Got it?"

The trio looked like they wanted to argue, but stopped when they saw Halibel giving them her signature stern look.

"Do I need to remind you three that we are guests here? I want all of you to behave yourselves. If not, I will not stop Grimmjow from acting on his threat", Halibel stated in tone that left no room for arguing.

While there was no doubt she cared deeply for the three girls, even she had her limits of how much of their bickering she could endure.  
Besides, she knew Grimmjow wouldn't be too rough on them, if he went through with his threat...

If he was, he would have to deal with both her and Nel yelling at him, and she knew he did not want to subject himself to that.  
The reason the Hollows were visiting Urahara's shop, was to get Gigai's for Halibel and the Tres Bestias. After all, it would look rather strange if Ichigo, Orihime and their friends seemingly just talked to empty space, since none of their normal friends could see the Hollows.

OoOoOoO

After obtaining the Gigai's, the five Hollows were now on their way to the Kurosaki residence. Naturally, they all drew a lot of looks from the normal inhabitants of Karakura town.

While Grimmjow and Nel visited the world of the living on a semi-regular basis, it was the first time Halibel and her three followers had entered the mortal realm in this manner.

Since all four of them, especially Halibel, were extremely attractive, they caused a lot of heads to be turned. While she and Apacci seemed somewhat annoyed by this, Sung-Sun and Mila-Rose seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Still, Grimmjow couldn't help but notice something rather strange about the humans.   
"What's up with them? Why are they wearing that stuff?", he asked Nel. She just shrugged. 

"I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with why Orihime wanted us all to visit them today?"

Finally, they had arrived at the home of the Kurosaki family. Nel knocked on the door, before stepping back. The Hollows heard someone running inside the house, before the door swung open.

"Nel! Grimmjow! You came!", Orihime exclaimed with a big smile, before spotting Halibel and the Tres Bestias.

"And you got the others to come along with you too!"The orange haired young woman clapped her hands together, before giving the blonde haired Hollow a warm smile.   
"I am really grateful that you accepted our invitation, Lady Halibel. Please, come in", she said as she gestured for the Hollows to enter the house.

Nel was the first to enter, with Grimmjow following right behind her. Halibel bowed her head towards Orihime. "Thank you for your hospitality", she said as she entered, the three younger women right behind her.

"Hey Nel. Good to see you", Ichigo greeted his Hollow friend, before turning his gaze towards the blue haired man behind her. "Hey, Grimmjow."

"What are you doing, Kurosaki?", the panther Hollow looked confused as he walked up to get a better look at what the Substitute Soul Reaper was doing.

"Oh, he is preparing his sister's kimonos", Orihime explained as she walked up to Ichigo's side. "His father is the one who usually does it, but he was needed at the local hospital. He'll be back before it starts though!"

"Before what starts?", Apacci asked as she walked up to get a better look at the kimonos.

"The New Year's festival, of course!", Orihime exclaimed, looking at Nel and Grimmjow, both of whom looked rather confused. 

"You see, Orihime wanted all of you to come to the local fireworks-festival that get's thrown here every year", Ichigo explained in a casual manner.

"Yeah! I have even prepared kimonos for you all", the orange-haired girl said, grabbing Nel and Halibel and dragging them upstairs. "Hey, what do you think you are doing!" Apacci yelled out as she and the other girls followed. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Urahara told me that I should prepare for several people to visit today, so there is plenty to choose from!"

Grimmjow and Ichigo were left standing in the living room. The Panther Hollow turned to his rival with a slight grin. "So, you have to deal with a woman who always does things at her own pace too, huh?"

Ichigo let out a chuckle at that. "I guess so. But, life would be a lot more boring if those two weren't around, right?"

Looking back at the stairs, Grimmjow listened as the women kept talking about the outfits Orihime had prepared. 

"Hmmm..."

OoOoOoO

"So, how long are we gonna have to wait?", Grimmjow declared with an annoyed expression.

He and the Substitute Soul Reaper were standing in the middle of the market that were selling things during the fireworks-festival. 

"We are here! Sorry we made you two wait!", a familiar voice called out.

Ichigo and Grimmjow turned around, with the human youth smiling fondly.

"You look really nice, Inoue."

Orhime's face lit up and she returned Ichigo's smile with radiant one. 

"Thank you, Ichigo!"

Grimmjow however, was looking at the woman standing next to Orihime. Nel looked absolutely stunning in her teal-colored kimono. Her hair had been put up in a messy bun, with some still flowing down her neck.

Halibel and the other girls also looked amazing, drawing the attention of nearly everyone.

"So, what do you think?" Nel asked with a grin as she walked up to Grimmjow. "I have never worn anything like this before, but it feels pretty nice."

Before the blue-haired man was able to give his answer, he was interrupted by Kurosaki's other friends, who were yelling at them.

"Hey, it is going to start now!"  
Just then, the night-sky was filled light up by fireworks. All the Hollows stared up at the spectacle with awe, having never seen anything quite like it.

Halibel looked over at her three younger companions, seeing their joyful expressions and smiled. 

"I guess coming to visit the human world once in a while like this, might be nice", the regal Hollow thought to herself, as she continued watching the beautiful way the sky was being light up.

Meanwhile, as Nel watched the fireworks with an amazed exspression, she heard Grimmjow utter a single word.

"Hermosa."

Looking over at him, she saw that he was looking at her, rather then at the fireworks. His face was serious, and his striking blue eyes seemed to only see her.

She smiled at him while a faint red color spread across her cheeks. Then, she reached out her hand, grabbing his. He didn't pull away, but instead held her smaller hand with surprising gentleness.

The two of them gazed back up at the fireworks, as the Tres Bestias continued to let out sounds of amazment and Halibel smiled warmly at seeing all her treasured companions so happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermosa: The Spanish word for Beautiful.


	22. Rivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grimmjow and Ichigo have their long awaited rematch. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Orihime, Halibel and Nel have a very important conversation about Nel and Grimmjow’s relationship.

Grimmjow, Nel and Halibel were standing on the balcony of the main castle of Las Noches. The Tres Bestias and Nel’s brothers were inside, playing with Kukkapūro.

"I take it you are excited, Grimmjow", Halibel said, her green eyes fixed on the blue haired Hollow’s larger then usual grin.

"Of course I am!", he exclaimed, as he let out an ominous chuckle. "Today is the day that I finally get to settle the score with that damm substitute Soul Reaper!"

While Halibel merely shook her head at her male companion’s obvious desire for battle, Nel had a somewhat worried expression. 

However, before she could say anything, a Garganta opened in front of them. Out of it, two humans emerged.

Ichigo looked around, while letting out a sigh of relief. Next to him, Orihime waved to the three Hollows.

"It's so nice to see the three of you again!", the young woman said in her usual cheerful way. "I am just glad that Urahara actually got the Garganta to open where we wanted it to", the young man beside her dryly remarked.

Halibel let out a small chuckle at that.

"Hello Nel, Halibel", Ichigo said as he greeted the two women. Then, his eyes shifted towards Grimmjow. He grinned at the Panther Hollow.

"So, are you ready?", he asked with a smirk.

Grimmjow’s only response was to grab his Zanpakutō, beginning to draw it out of it's scabbard.

Halibel’s stern voice called out: "Grimmjow, you both know that you need to fight somewhere far away from Las Noches."

Grimmjow frowned, but let go of the sword.

"Fine", he said as he put his hands into his pockets. He then looked over at Orihime with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you here?"

"I figured I would come along so that I could heal Ichigo after your battle!", she explained while looking over at Ichigo with a smile. 

Grimmjow laughed as he grinned at Ichigo. "How nice of your girlfriend to come along to fix you up, Kurosaki."

Both Ichigo and Orihime blushed at the remark, though Orhime looked quite pleased by being adressed as Ichigo's girlfriend.

"Well then, should we get going?" Ichigo said after he managed to will away the redness in his cheeks. "Just follow me. I found a place where we can both go all out", the blue haired Arrancar said as he started to walked towards the edge of the balcony.

"Good luck, Ichigo!", Orihime exclaimed as Ichigo followed Grimmjow. 

"Try to not destroy our entire realm", Halibel said in a deadpan tone.

Before he took off, Grimmjow turned around, his eyes on Nel.

"Good luck", the green haired woman said softly, her grey eyes meeting Grimmjow’s blue.  
It seemed as if something unspoken passed between the two Hollows. 

Then, Grimmjow’s expression seemed to slightly soften.

He nodded, before giving her one of his signature cocky grins, Then, he turned around, and flew off. Ichigo was right behind him.

Orihime, who had watched the whole thing, now looked at Nel with a curious expression.

"Nel, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

The green haired Arrancar turned towards her human friend.

"What is it that you are curious about, Orihime?"

"I was just wondering...what kind of relationship do you and Grimmjow have now?"

OoOoOoO

The two men had arrived at their destination in the blink of an eye. As they touched down, Ichigo looked somewhat suprised at how fast Grimmjow had become.

"I become so much more powerful after my traning at the Soul King’s palace. And yet, I had to focus to keep up with him just now..."

The substitute Soul Reaper felt a small frown forming on his face.

"I guess what I sensed back during the war with the Quincy’s was true...He really is on a whole other level than he was during our last battle."

Looking around, Ichigo saw that they were standing in some kind of canyon. "What kind of place is this, anyway?", he asked.

"It used to be a gathering place for Gillian and Adjuchas", Grimmjow replied in a casual tone. 

"Me and my gang used to hang out here when we needed somehwere to rest, back before we were recruited by Aizen. After our last fight, I needed a place to crash where I could regain my strength. So, I ended up back here.  
Even after I heard that Halibel was now the one calling the shots in Las Noches, I stayed here, when I was not out wandering, looking for a fight. Even now, I sometimes use it when I need somewhere to train. Other Hollows know that, so they steer clear of this place."  
"Given how strong Grimmjow has to be now, that makes a lot of sense", Ichigo thought to himself. Still, he was suprised by the fact that he was having such a, for a lack of a better word, casual conversation with the former Espada.

"Looks like Nel really has been a good influence on him", he realized, feeling a amused smirk forming in the corners of his mouth.

Just as he started to relax, Grimmjow turned around, unsheathing his Zanpakutō.

"I have been waiting for this for a long time, Kurosaki", he stated with a sinister grin. "And now, there is no war or some other bullshit that will get in our way."

"You still have quite a way with words I see", Ichigo stated in a dry tone.

"And you are still a cocky litte punk, who is practically begging to have your teeth knocked out"; Grimmjow stated with sadistic grin. Although, Ichigo noted that he did seem to enjoy getting to engage in their old way of bantering.

"So, I was thinking", Ichigo started to unsheath his dual Zanpakutōs as well. "Why don't we start off by keeping it simple, just using our swords, along with flashstep and sonido? No other special abilities."

Grimmjow looked like he was thinking it over. Then, he nodded.

"Alright. We'll just use our Zanpakutōs. No special abilities", the blue haired man agreed.

He pointed Panthera at Ichigo, who now stood ready with his twin Zangetsu’s.

A few tense seconds passed...

Then, the two rushed forward, their blades meeting in a cloud of sparks.

OoOoOoO

Nel’s eyes widened at the question. "I...what makes you ask?", she eventually said.

Halibel was looking between the two with an intrigued look in her eyes. "She really just asked that so casually", the blonde Arrancar though to herself.  
She had been wondering about the same thing for some time, though had never really found a good time to inquire what the current relationship between her two comrades was.

"Well...It’s just that..." 

Orihime seemed a bit embarrassed, going by the reddness spreading across her cheeks, but managed to meet Nel’s questioning gaze.

"The way his face softened when he saw that you were worried about him...it looked very similar to the way Ichigo looks at me when he is trying to reassure me everything is going to be alright!"

The orange haired girl was now gesturing wildly with her arms, as a stream of words starting to pour from her mouth.

"Rukia has told me that I need to get better at seeing stuff like that...though, she was not to good at herself until recently, since Mr. Kira has told me that Renji has looked at her like that since they were in the academy together, and she never noticed it then...but, now they are married, and they both seem really happy...and Karin and Yuzu have told me that Ichigo seems a lot happier ever since he started going out with me...and that"

"Okay, okay, I think I get the picture", Nel interrupted her friend’s rambling. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, before looking over at Halibel.

"Tia, have Grimmjow and I looked at each other like that often recently?"

The Queen of Hueco Mundo looked pretty taken aback at being asked a question like that out of the blue. She choughed into her hand, in order to collect herself. 

"I will say, that as you and Grimmjow have started spending more and more time together...both of you seem to be in rather high spirits", she stated with a pondering expression.

"And, whenever one of you is away...the one who stays behind, always seem to eagerly await your return", Halibel said, now giving Nel a pointed look. "In fact, both of you generally tend to sport a expression that I can only describe as...longing."

Hearing that, accompanied by the knowing look in Halibel’s green eyes, made Nel feel a warmth spread throughout her entire body.

Beside her, Orihime covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

"I knew it! You and Grimmjow are in love! Oh, this is so wonderful!", Orhime exclaimed excitedly. She rushed over and grabbed the older woman’s hands, while giving her a dazzling smile.

"You need to tell him! I am sure he feels the same way! Right, Miss Halibel?"

Halibel once again looked rather taken aback. She was after all, not exactly accustomed to talking about POSITIVE feelings, let alone LOVE. It was not something most Hollows even acknowledged actually existed.

"Umm, well...", Halibel looked between the smiling human and the still rather stunned Hollow.  
She decided to use the experience in advice-giving she had obtained in her centuries of looking after her three charges.

"I do not have any experience in these matters", she said in a calm tone. "But, from what I have seen of Orihime and Ichigo’s relationship, it seems to be something that brings both of them happiness", she continued, while giving Orihime a warm smile.

"And if being with Grimmjow does make you happy...then I do think that you should at least think about what excatly you feel for him", she finished as she looked at Nel, her eyes gentle.

The green haired Arrancar still seemed rather flustered by all this talk about her feelings towards the Panther Hollow. But, she did seem to be listening and thinking about her two friends advice. 

OoOoOoO

Grimmjow and Ichigo were still clashing, both of them grinning wildy as their blades sang with each strike.

Finally, they both stopped and descended down to the ground to catch their breath.

"Man, have I missed this!" Grimmjow though to himself as he sat down, looking over at the orange haired man who also sat down, clearly tired.

"Sure has been a while since I had to fight like that", Ichigo said between his panting, before giving Grimmjow a friendly grin. "I gotta admit, you are one hell of a fighter, Grimmjow."

The blue haired Arrancar let out a laugh, before grinning at the substitute Soul Reaper. 

"I could say the same! It has been way too long since I had a fight like that, Kurosaki!"

"Oh? I though you sparred with Nel regularly?", Ichigo asked, looking a litte suprised. "Have you really gotten so strong that the two of you can’t fight on equal terms anymore?"

Grimmjow frowned at that, letting out an annoyed "Tch!" sound, before shaking his head. 

"Of course not. Nel’s one badass chick...no way in hell is she going to let me get that much stronger then her, that we won’t be able to spar with each other."

Ichigo looked amused. "Heh...Never though I would see the day when you would tell me that you would like someone to spar with." The young man clad in black let out a chuckle. "Hell, you actually seem cool with just sparring with me...no talk of destroying me or anything!"

"I will Cero your head off if you don’t vipe that fucking smirk off your face, you prick", the Hollow snarled, though he made no movevment that indicated that he was going to attack Ichigo.

Instead, he leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. "And of course I am okay with sparring with you...you are strong. I respect those who can fight like you and I can."

Ichigo’s eyes widened slightly at that, before his grin eased into a more genuine smile.

"I want to fight you again, you know", Grimmjow said without looking at the substitute Soul Reaper.

"Sure", Ichigo said. "We are rivals after all, aren’t we?"

Grimmjow sat up, his intense blue eyes meeting Ichigo’s brown. 

"Rivals, huh?...", he mumbled to himself...Before grinning at Ichigo once again.

"Yeah! Someone like me needs a rival like you to keep me at the top of my game!"

Ichigo chuckled, though he looked at the Panther Hollow with a competitive look in his eyes.

However, both of them looked up when they sensed the two presences approaching them. Sure enough, after a litte while, Orhime and Nel landed next to them.  
The orange haired girl rushed over to her boyfriend, and started using her Sōten Kisshun to heal him, despite Ichigo assuring her that he was fine.  
Grimmjow rolled his eyes at the mushy behaviour of the two humans, though he was suprised when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. A pale green light began to shine, as his injuries started to heal.

"Of course you have gotten the hang of that already", Grimmjow said while rolling his eyes, before looking over at the woman kneeling beside him.

"I dare say, this technique might be me easier for me to use, given that I am not battle-crazy like you", Nel said, though the smile she gave him showed that she was only teasing him.

Grimmjow chuckled at that. "You may have a point there", he said, as their eyes met.

To his suprise, Nel’s cheeks seemed to turn slightly red and there was a new shine to her eyes that caught him off guard.

"Hey! If you guys are done with your flirting, should we head back?"

The two Hollows were startled, as they turned their heads to find Ichigo and Orhime looking at them with matching grins.

"Fuck off, Kurosaki", Grimmjow mumbled, though to his horror, he felt a warmth spread across his face at the other man’s comment.

"Ichigo, why don’t we go on ahead?" Orhime smiled up at her boyfriend. Picking up on the look in her eyes, Ichigo nodded.

"We will wait for you at Las Noches!", he yelled, before he and Orihime flew off.

"Tch...that bastard always manages to piss me off somehow", Grimmjow mumbled under his breath. He then let out a sigh, before looking over at Nel.

"I don’t really feel like using Sonido right now...are you okay if we just walk for a bit?", he asked the woman beside him. She nodded at him with a gentle smile. "Sure. Just walking for a bit sounds rather nice, actually."

The two Hollows started walking.

After a litte while, Nel’s hand found Grimmjow’s. When she hesitated for a bit, Grimmjow tread his fingers through hers. When she looked up at him in suprise, she saw that he was looking straight ahead, though he squeezed her hand assuringly. 

Nel smiled, as she returned the motion, feeling a warmth spread from her chest at the gentle way Grimmjow’s hand held hers.

And so, the two Hollows continued to walk, both of them enjoying the sensation that the other’s touch made them feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I hope you enjoyed! :)


	23. Friends

Halibel was sitting at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne of Las Noches. She was watching the Tres Bestias as they were practicing their hand-to-hand combat skills.

Apacci and Mila-Rose were in the middle of a sparring match, while Sung-Sun stood to the side, providing her usual snarky commentary.

Standing a few feet away, Grimmjow and Nel were leaning against the pillars of the hall, Kukkapūro sitting in betwen them, letting out excited barks whenever one of the girls landed a good hit.   
Grimmjow was watching the fight with a grin, clearly enjoying the chance to see a fight. Nel provided occasional shouts of encouragement, as well as advice. 

As she observed this scene, Halibel started to reflect on how things had been in the past. Seeing several Hollows gathered like this, actually enjyoing each others company...  
It was, quite frankly, a stark contrast to how things had been during the time Aizen had ruled over Las Noches.  
A single word, or rather name, kept on ringing in Halibel’s head as she watch her daughters and former Espada compatriots.

"Starrk..."

As she thought about the wolf Arrancar, the Queen of Hueco Mundo couldn't help but think back to the time when Aizen had first introduced him to her and the other Espada...

OoOoOoO

Halibel had been sitting with the other top-ranked members of Aizen’s forces, by the table where they held their meetings. Gin and Tosen had informed them that Aizen would be returning soon, and that he had found another powerful Hollow that he wnated them to meet.

The blonde haired woman was admittedly not to thrilled abut the whole thing.  
"I could do without another member of our forces like them", she thought to herself, as she glanced over at Nnitora and Szyael, who were sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the table.

The pink haired scientist was licking his lips ,clearly eager to see what this new Hollow would be like. Meanwhile, the lanky man beside him was scowling angrily.   
He was obviously annoyed at the prospect that ANOTHER powerful Hollow that might be place above him, was about to walk in through the door.

Looking over at the other Espada, Halibel saw that Grimmjow looked somewhat excited, most likely hoping that this newcomer could give him a good fight.

Zommari sat with his eyes closed, seemingly deep in meditation.

Aaroniero was just waiting patiently, their mask hiding their expressions.

Yammy looked bored, as he muched down on some food.

Ulquiorra was as stoic as always.

And Baraggan was frowning, clearly unhappy about the fact that he was being treated like just another underling.

Finally, Halibel heard footsteps, and saw Aizen had arrived, Gin and Tosen following right behind him. The Soul Reaper walked to the end of the table, before sitting down.  
"I am pleased to see that you have all gathered here as I requested, my dear Espada", he said with a smile.

"Now then", the former Captain’s smile widened.  
"Please enter."

The Espada eyes shifted towards the entrance to the room. Then, Halibel’s eyes widened at what she saw.

TWO Hollows entered the room, slowly walking down the stairs.

The one in front had the apparence of a tall man, with dark brown hair and blue-gray eyes. The remains of his Hollow mask consist of a fanged bottom jaw that was positioned along his neck. His exspression was somber, and he seemed to give off a feeling off melancholy.

The other one was a short girl with light green hair. The remainder of her Hollow mask was in the form of a helmet, with two horns on the top of her head. The left horn looks as if it had been cut off and the left half of the mask covered her left eye.   
Her right eye was a light pink colour, with the left eye covered by her Hollow mask and with a flame design over the eye socket.  
She was clutching the man’s white jacket with both her hands, looking like she was trying to hide behind him.

"These two, are the newest members of our ranks", Aizen’s powerful voice declared. "Would you be please introduce yourselves?"

"I am Coyote Starrk" the man said quietly. "And her name is Lilynette Gingerbuck", he continued as he gestured to the girl still hiding behind him.

"As you can see, I have already used the Hōgyoku to enhance these two", Aizen stated. "And, I have already decided on what rank they will have."

While most of the Espada looked taken aback by the fact that Aizen had seemingly already decided on such a matter...  
Halibel instead picked up on the other thing that the former Captain had said.

"He said, what rank THEY will have", the blonde Hollow though to herself while looking over at the pair. "Implying that the two of them are connected, in a way that relates to their fighting capabilities..."  
She was brought out of her musings, when Szyael turned his intrigued gaze from the newcomers, to their superior.

"And what rank is it you have determined they shall receive, Lord Aizen?", he asked in his usual coy, infuriating tone of voice.

Halibel noted that the male Hollow seemed to frown at the question, while Aizen’s smile grew even wider.  
"They shall be the Primera", the Soul Reaper answered in a light tone.

A few seconds passed...

Then, Nnoitora let out an infuritated shout of "WHAT!"

Most of the other Espada also had looks of either disbelif or anger.

None so more then the current holder of the position of Primera.  
"What kind of nonsense is this?", Baraggan asked with a growl. "Are you telling me that this brat is more powerful then I am?"

Aizen slowly turned his head towards the old king of Hueco Mundo, his smile never faltering in the slightest.  
"Are you questioning my choice, Baraggan?"

Most of the Hollows present felt a chill run down the spine at Aizen’s words. His tone was warm and soothing, yet the look in his cold, brown eyes left no doubt...

That was a threat, not a question, directed towards the ancient Hollow.

While Baraggan’s expression did not change, as he still stared at the calm face of the Soul Reaper with barely restrained fury, his fists clenched tightly...  
Then, he eventually muttered, very slowly: "No, Lord Aizen."

The hate and resentement in his eyes and voice was so palpable, that Halibel could practically feel it.

"Excellent", Aizen said with a pleasant smile. "Now then, I would like all of you except for Baraggan, Starrk and Lilynette to leave. This meeting is over."

One by one, the Espada got up and left. As Halibel stood up, she saw that Aizen looked at his two felllow Soul Reapers, to which they simply nodded and began to excit as well.

As she reached the stairs, she shot one final look towards the brown haired man, and the girl beside him. Starrk looked downcast, while the girl looked up at him with a sad expression.   
Then, to Halibel’s surprise, she grabbed his hand, and squeezed it in a comforting manner.

OoOoOoO

Later on, Halibel was walking down the hall that she told would lead her to the new Primera’s quarters. Behind her, her three charges were following her, arguing like they usually did.

When she had informed them that she intended to speak to the newest member of the Espada, the trio had been adamant about accompanying her. 

The shark Arrancar knew that, although the girls had insisted on coming along, claiming that it was beacuse they needed to maintain their roles as her bodyguards, they were also curious about what kind of Hollows these two new recruits were.  
After all, aside from the meetings that Aizen held, usually only spent time with the Tres Bestias, avoiding the other top ranked members of Hueco Mundo’s army.

So, the fact that Halibel wanted to talk with this new Primera, was quite a suprise to her three younger companions.

Finally, she reached a door where she sensed the the presence of Starrk and the girl that followed him.

She knocked on the door, before stepping back to wait for the pair inside to open.  
She heard what sounded like a tired yawn, followed by a series of footsteps. Then, the door opened.

Starrk looked at her with a sleepy expression, before raising an eyebrow. "You were at the meeting yesterday", he said. "I don't believe I got your name, Miss...?"  
"Halibel. Tia Halibel", the female Hollow stated in a calm manner. "Ah, I see.", the male Hollow simply said.

Neither of the two Hollows said anything for a while.

Then, to the suprise of both Halibel and her Fraccion, Starrk uttered a quiet: "Sorry about that thing yesterday."

Taken aback at this, Halibel narrowed her eyes, as she studied the other Arrancar’s expression. 

"And what is it that you feel the need to apologise to me for?", she asked.

"Well...I could tell that most of you who were at that meeting were angered by the fact that Lord Aizen just decided that I should be the new Primera, without giving any explanation as to why."

Starrk, who had been keeping his head down, looked up to meet Halibel’s gaze. To her astonishment, he appeared to be completely sincere, based on the apologetic look in his grey eyes.

However, before Halibel could responed, Apacci declared in a proud tone: "Like rankinkgs matter! Lady Halibel is the most amazing Hollow there is!"  
She then walked up to Starrk, who looked down at her with a bewildered look on his face.  
"Got that, Mr. Primera?!"

While Mila and Sung-Sun looked mortified by Apacci speaking like that to one of the other Espada, Halibel was looking at her younger companion with a unhappy expression.  
But, before she could admonish her hot-headed charge, another voice called out: "Don't you talk to him like that!"

Everyone turned their head to find the source of the voice. All of them saw that it had been the young girl that accompanied Starrk. She was now standing next to the tall male, her hands on her hips while glaring at Apacci.

"You aren't even an Espada! So, you should show him a little more respect, unless you want to get your ass kicked!", the girl added.

"What! Why you little!", Apacci looked like she was about to say more, when she heard Halibel’ stern voice call out: "Apacci, that’s enough."

Turning around, the Deer Hollow saw that the stern glare the blonde Espada was sending her. Immediately, the younger woman bowed her head, muttering an apology.  
Halibel shifted her gaze back to the duo of Hollows, who was looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

"I apologise for Apacci’s rudeness", she said with a slight inclination of her head.

"Huh...good to see that someone is this place has some manners!", Lilynette declared with a cocky grin.

While Halibel raised an eyebrow in amusment, being rather suprised by how different the girl was acting from the other day, her male companion rubbed the back of his head while letting out a groan.  
"She is quite a little spitfire, as you can see", he said while looking at Halibel, though his voice was filled with an clear fondness his younger companion. "Although, it seems like you know what looking after someone like that is like", he added with a subdued grin.

While the Tres Bestias all looked like they were about to protest that statment, all of them were stunned when they heard Halibel let out a small, but genuine laughter at the male Arrancar's joke.

When her laughter subsided, Halibel looked at the duo in front of her with a much friendly look in her green eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking?", she began. "Why did the two of you choose to join Aizen?"

The two of them seemed so different from the others Hollows that the Soul Reaper had recruited, that she found herself curious as to why they had decided to join his army.  
The two looked at each other, a silent understanding seemingly passing between them, before they turned their heads to look at her again.

"The two of us were so strong that no one could survive while getting close to us", Starrk explained in a somber tone. Lilynette looked down at the floor with a pained look on her face. Seeing this, Starrk placed a hand on the young girl’s head, patting it in a comforting manner.

Both Halibel and the Tres Bestias were even more shocked at Starrk’s next words.

"Aizen said that if we followed him, we could meet others who were strong. That we did not need to be lonely anymore..."

As the Shark Arrancar looked at the pair in front of her, their expressions still downcast, she made up her mind.

"I can tell that the two of you have had to endure isolation for a long time", she said in a quiet tone. "But, you don’t need to do so anymore."

When the two looked at her with, the suprise clear on their faces, Halibel added in a gentle tone:  
"I can tell that the two of you are kind souls. If the two of you wish it, I would be happy to offer you my friendship."

Both Starrk and Lilynette looked stunned. Then, a huge grin spread across the young girl’s face.   
"You mean it!", she exclaimed, her single eye shining with excitement as she looked up at Halibel. Smiling gently down at the younger Hollow, Halibel nodded her head in confirmation.

Looking up, she saw that Starrk was looking at her with a subtle smile. "Thank you", he said, his eyes conveying the gratitude he felt over such a simple gesture of kindness.

OoOoOoO

As her reminiscing ended, Halibel watched as her three daughters continued their spar with smiles on their faces, while Grimmjow and Nel watched on with amusment. 

"I think you would have been happy to see how things have changed in Hueco Mundo, Starrk, Lilynette", the blonde Hollow thought to herself. 

"Rather then being united by force, we are now becoming true comrades."

Smiling softly, Halibel nodded to herself. 

"Yes...I think the two of you would have been happy to see how our realm has slowly started to change for the better. I can only hope that one day, I can tell the two of you about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to write a chapter about Halibel seeing how Hueco Mundo has slowly started to change for the better...and also to write a chapter focusing on the friendship she had with Starrk and Lilynette. So, I figured the two would go nicely together. 
> 
> Also, I imagine that Aizen never missed an opportunity to piss off Barragan, haha! That part was fun to write!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


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